ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare Bill

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate the Government have made of the cost to local authorities of implementing the Animal Welfare Bill; and how this will be funded.

Ben Bradshaw: Our estimate of the costs to local authorities of implementing our proposals under the Animal Welfare Bill is detailed in the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), which was published alongside the Bill. We estimate that the Bill will not impose any significant additional costs on local authorities.

Avian Influenza

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice and information is being issued to keepers of (a) captive bred and (b) wild disabled birds registered with her Department on (i) avian influenza and (ii) obtaining seasonal influenza injections.

Ben Bradshaw: Guidance on biosecurity and on keeping birds separate from wild birds has been issued very widely to those who keep birds commercially, to veterinary practices and to many others including wildfowl trusts, the RSPCA and the Pet Care Trust. Further guidance on local risk assessments and contingency planning is on the DEFRA website. Advertisements have been placed in a variety of journals to bring the biosecurity guidance and the ban on shows, fairs and sales to the attention of keepers of backyard flocks and captive birds respectively.
	DEFRA is guided by the Department of Health in relation to advice on seasonal influenza vaccination. The current position is that routine vaccination of poultry workers, veterinarians or those dealing with wild birds with seasonal human flu vaccine is not recommended, but should be used in a confirmed outbreak of avian flu as a protection against the possibility of re-assortment with human flu virus for those people who might be exposed to the virus during disease control activities.

Avian Influenza

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will compensate those whose livelihoods have been affected by the ban on bird shows; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I announced on 20 December 2005 that all bird shows are now allowed to go ahead under a general licence; details are available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/poultrykeepers.htm#birdfair
	There are no plans to offer compensation to those who have been affected by this ban.

Avian Influenza

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  why her Department has not banned live importation of birdsfrom poultry shows in other European Union countries;
	(2)  whether live birds may be imported from poultry shows in European Union countries; and what risk assessment she has undertaken of the potential importation of Avian influenza from these sources.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 20 December 2005
	Live birds may be brought into the United Kingdom from poultry shows within the EU as long as the correct import procedures are followed. Rules on importing poultry are available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/animl-im/animl-im.htm
	The movement of birds within the EU is controlled by Community rules, which do not require birds to be quarantined. However, the UK's Salmonella controls require all fowl species (for example chicken, ducks and turkeys) arriving in the UK from other member states to be isolated for at least 112 days after arrival.
	Defra carries out qualitative veterinary risk assessments when officially notified of a disease outbreak in an EU-member state, a country on the border of the EU or one of the UK's trading partners worldwide. There are currently no cases of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza in EU member states. Based on veterinary risk assessments, we consider that the risk to birds in the UK is currently low.
	If an EU member state experiences an outbreak of serious disease such as Avian influenza, existing EU trade rules set out the measures that must be adopted by that member state to prevent the spread of the disease. If the situation demands it, the European Commission will propose additional safeguard measures. It is not open to other member states to take unilateral action which goes beyond Community trade rules.

Avian Influenza

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the United Kingdom's poultry imports came from China in 2004–05.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 20 December 2005
	Imports of poultry products from China into the UK for the period 2004 to September 2005 are as shown. The final row in the table shows that these represented 0.1 per cent. (by value) of total poultry imports into the UK for the period January to September 2005.
	The figures in the table below reflect imports of processed bird feathers, which have undergone treatment to ensure no pathogens are transmitted and are permitted for import from China. Imports of any other poultry products from China are not permitted.
	
		
			  2004 January to September 2005 
			  Thousand tonnes £ million Thousand tonnes £ million 
		
		
			 Imports from China 2 1 1 1 
			 Total imports 622 1,153 495 854 
			  
			 Proportion of imports from China (percentage) 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 
		
	
	Note:
	2005 data is subject to amendments.
	Source:
	H M Revenue and Customs
	Data prepared by Trade statistics, Food Chain Analysis 3, DEFRA

Aviation Emissions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures to reduce aviation emissions the Government are considering.

Elliot Morley: The Government believe the best way for aviation to contribute to the long-term goal of climate stabilisation is through a well-designed emissions trading scheme. This work programme was a priority for the UK Presidency of the EU and under our Presidency, the European Council endorsed the inclusion of aviation into the EU ETS. The European Commission aims to bring forward a legislative proposal by the end of 2006 and we are pressing for inclusion from 2008 or as soon as possible thereafter.
	We are also encouraging industry to improve their operational practices; invest in research and development programmes; and to take voluntary action to control their greenhouse gas emissions. We have committed to offset carbon dioxide emissions from official air travel in central Government starting from April 2006 and continue to explore the use of other economic instruments, such as taxes and charges.
	On local air quality, local authorities have a statutory duty to review and assess the local air quality in their area for the purpose of local air quality management. Where it is likely that the air quality objectives will not be met by the relevant deadline, the local authority must designate an air quality management area and take action, along with others, to work towards meeting the air quality objectives.
	Air quality management areas in respect of the Nitrogen dioxide national air quality objective have been designated in the vicinities of Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The local authorities involved have drawn up or are working up air quality action plans, in partnership with the airport operators and other interested parties, setting out proposed measures to tackle the problem.

Batteries

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to regulate the (a) sale and (b) disposal of batteries in the UK; and what current EU regulations apply to batteries waste.

Ben Bradshaw: Directive 91/157/EEC (as amended) on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances is the sole EU legislative measure applying to batteries. This directive only covers those batteries containing specified levels of mercury, cadmium or lead, which are deemed hazardous.
	However, proposals for a new batteries directive, to cover all batteries, is currently undergoing negotiation, and we expect the directive to be finalised this year. The proposed directive will require member states to adopt appropriate measures to collect and recycle their waste batteries. Once the directive has been agreed, HMG will consider how to transpose its requirements, including requirements relating to sales and disposal, into UK law.

Batteries

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to transpose European Union legislation regarding the sale and disposal of batteries in the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: Negotiations on the proposed Batteries Directive have not concluded yet, and so we do not know what the final requirements will be. Once the Directive is agreed, HMG will consider how to transpose its requirements into UK law.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether those on fixed term contracts in her Department's Animal Welfare Unit dealing with the current tuberculosis trials have been given notice of redundancy; and what assessment she has made of the implications of this for future badger studies.

Ben Bradshaw: Staff have been informed that their fixed term contracts will end on 31 March 2006.
	Our 10 year strategy to address bovine tuberculosis includes a delivery plan for Government funded research.

Climate Change Programme Review

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will publish their Climate Change Programme Review.

Elliot Morley: We are aiming to publish the revised climate change programme as soon as possible in the beginning of this year.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the access authorities which have taken part in the Access Management Grant Scheme; and what total level of funding has been granted to each such authority since the scheme's inception.

Jim Knight: pursuant to the reply, 30 November 2005, Official Report, c. 505–06W
	My answer was incorrect, and should have been as follows:
	The Access Management Grant Scheme is administered by the Countryside Agency on behalf of DEFRA. The Agency's records show that up to 1 November 2005, 53 access authorities have been granted a total of £3,063,591 in funding under the Access Management Grant Scheme, as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Barnsley 15,018 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 2,475 
			 Bedfordshire 11,260 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 9,333 
			 Bolton 6,026 
			 Bracknell Forest 269 
			 Bradford 27,076 
			 Brighton and Hove 19,955 
			 Buckinghamshire 41,432 
			 Calderdale 123,525 
			 Cambridgeshire 17,392 
			 Cornwall 86,333 
			 Cumbria 322,952 
			 Derbyshire 3,777 
			 Devon 135,821 
			 Doncaster 19,845 
			 Dorset 337,316 
			 Durham 184,884 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 42,477 
			 East Sussex 42,953 
			 Essex 12,000 
			 Gloucester 28,692 
			 Hampshire 95,596 
			 Herefordshire(1) 41,463 
			 Hertfordshire 11,865 
			 Kent 23,213 
			 Kirklees 21,313 
			 Lancashire 221,045 
			 Leeds 23,608 
			 Leicestershire 39,000 
			 Lincolnshire 9,016 
			 Norfolk 39,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 5,807 
			 North Yorkshire 159,281 
			 Northumberland 144,805 
			 Nottinghamshire 12,190 
			 Oldham 8,714 
			 Oxfordshire 31,080 
			 Poole 8,038 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 381 
			 Rochdale 4,219 
			 Shropshire 67,380 
			 Somerset 31,397 
			 South Downs (East Sussex) 110,932 
			 South Gloucestershire 17,261 
			 Staffordshire 26,239 
			 Suffolk 196,105 
			 Tameside 5,100 
			 Wakefield 10,639 
			 West Berkshire 2,225 
			 West Sussex 130,350 
			 Wiltshire 50,388 
			 Worcestershire 25,133 
		
	
	(1) Excludes funding for the Open Access Black Mountains project.

Departmental Vehicles

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much petrol fuel her Department's vehicles have used in each year since 1997; and at what cost in each year.

Jim Knight: DEFRA and its Executive agencies do not hold central records on the amount of petrol used by official vehicles or the costs incurred.

Dog Wardens

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dog wardens are employed by each London borough.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra does not collect these figures.

Fisheries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many UK fishing vessels of 12 metres of more in length, operating in ICES areas VII e, f, g, h and j and using bottom set gillnet or entangling net will be required from 1 January 2006 to use acoustic deterrent devices under Regulation (EC) No 812/2004 (art.2);
	(2)  what the total (a) length and (b) effort in kilometres per hours is of bottom set gillnet and entangling net used by UK fishing vessels of 12 metres or more in length operating in ICES areas VII e, f, g, h and j.

Ben Bradshaw: There are approximately 20 UK vessels of 12 metres or more in length regularly prosecuting this fishery. Gill nets are used for catching hake all year round and entanglement nets are used for catching monkfish, turbot and rays from March to September; a number of vessels prosecute more than one fishery, including wreck netting.
	We estimate that the 12 regular hake netters deploy some 240k of nets; the 14 regular entanglement netters some 11,200k; and, the 6 wreck netters some 24k. This gives a total for the fishery of 11,464k of nets.
	The data are not available to calculate the effort in kilometres per hour.

Fisheries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it will be her Department's policy to follow the scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of Our Seas at the December Fisheries Council meeting.

Ben Bradshaw: The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) produces scientific advice annually on the state of stocks in the north Atlantic. Following these assessments by ICES, further advice on the status of stocks covered by the Common Fisheries Policy is received from the Commission's Scientific Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). The advice from ICES and STECF informs the decisions taken but the Fisheries Council must balance environmental, economic and social considerations in reaching its decisions.

Fisheries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her Department's policy to agree increases in quotas on species with a high cod by-catch on condition that measures to reduce this by-catch are implemented.

Ben Bradshaw: At the December 2005 Fisheries Council, the Government gave priority to addressing the small mesh fisheries which take cod as a by-catch. These include the beam trawl sector and the sector which catches nephrops. The measures adopted by the Council include a cut in the number of fishing days for these sectors and incentives for them to adopt more selective gear.
	Decisions on total allowable catches and quotas need to take into account the state of the target stocks as well as their by-catches of cod and other species. On this basis, the Council was able to adopt significant increases in nephrops TACS which will be of significant benefit to the UK fishing industry.

Foot and Mouth

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library advice received by Ministers regarding the decision in March 2001 to carry out a contiguous cull of farm animals.

Ben Bradshaw: The background to and justification for the contiguous cull is set out in Chapter 10 of the Report Foot and Mouth 2001: Lessons to be Learnt Inquiry" published on 22 July 2002. I have placed a further copy in the Library.

Foot and Mouth

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many legal cases involving foot and mouth disease clean-up contractors are pending.

Ben Bradshaw: Currently, five cases are the subject of High Court litigation.

Foot and Mouth

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library in respect of all court cases where proceedings are complete relating to foot and mouth disease clean-up contractors; what the (a) dates and times of proceedings, (b) verdicts and (c) costs incurred by her Department were; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The registry of each court keeps a publicly accessible register of claims which have been issued out of that court or court office. There is no central register held of all cases held in all courts. The only register of this nature is held for the county courts (which can be found at www.registry-trust.org.uk). Her Majesty's Court Service database contains judgments dating back to 1996 (which can be found at www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk.
	If the proceedings are from the civil or criminal divisions of the Court of Appeal, or from the administrative court, both WordWave International's Casetrack website (official shorthand writer to the court), and the BAILII website (British and Irish Legal Information Institute) may provide further information. If the case (or cases) my right hon. Friend is interested in is (are) from the High Court, the Court itself should be contacted for a copy(ies) of the judgment(s). House of Lords judgments delivered since 14 November 1996 are available on the House of Lords website at www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk
	It is not possible to provide details of the final outcomes of all court cases where legal proceedings are completed relating to foot and mouth disease clean-up contractors because in some cases (sometimes at the instigation of the contractor) both parties have agreed to keep the terms of settlement confidential.
	The Department has been diligent in pursuing those cases where it believes it was overcharged by contractors and valuers during the FMD outbreak.
	Where it has the evidence to pursue fraud in either a civil or criminal context it will do so. The Department will have finished its review of all contractor accounts by the end of March 2006 but is dependent on judicial time scales and the work of the relevant investigating authorities in concluding all the commercial and valuer disputes. There have been delays in settlement because of the unwillingness of some contractors to engage in dispute resolution procedures and these have in come cases necessitated, and will necessitate, legal proceedings. The Department has spent to date £30.341 million on professional services investigating close to £1.3 billion of expenditure on goods, services and works arising out of the FMD outbreak. Direct savings of £88.237 million have been achieved to date and, currently, five cases are the subject of High Court litigation.

Integrated Pollution Legislation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many court cases have (a) the Environment Agency and (b) her Department taken on breaches of the integrated pollution prevention and control legislation; and what the outcome was in each case where proceedings are complete.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2003 the Environment Agency prosecuted Kvaerner Engineering and Construction UK Limited for a breach of the PPC Regulations.
	In 2004 the Environment Agency prosecuted Sita Southern Limited for a breach of the PPC Regulations.
	In 2005 the following companies were prosecuted by the Environment Agency for breaches of the PPC Regulations: Global Commodities (UK) Limited, HLC Waste Management Services Limited, Istil (UK) PLC, James Cropper PLC, Monckton Coke and Chemical Company Ltd, Robert Wiseman & Sons Limited and Sita Southern Limited.
	A table providing additional information such as the offence, the date of prosecution and the outcome of each prosecution will be deposited in the Library of this House.
	This Department does not itself take prosecutions, but some installations are regulated by local authorities rather than the Environment Agency.
	We publish statistics annually which give the number of prosecutions taken by local authorities, although do not distinguish between those taken under their air pollution powers from those under their integrated pollution prevention and control powers.
	In 2004–05 13 prosecutions were reported. This information is listed in table 12a of the recently published Statistical Survey at this address http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/lapc/survey0405/index.htm . The survey reports for both 2002–03 and 2003–04 are also available on the same website at thisaddress http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc/index.htm .

Landfill

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the burden on local waste disposal authorities of the current (a) landfill tax penalties and (b) landfill allowance targets; what financial support will be made available to assist them in funding the new waste disposal technologies; if she will take steps to return to the waste disposal authorities who pay landfill tax the funding raised by the tax to assist them in funding their minimisation and recycling initiatives.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is as follows:
	(a) There are no penalties within the Landfill Tax regime. Budget 2003 announced that future increases in the standard rate of landfill tax would be introduced in a way that is revenue neutral to business as a whole and to local government, reflecting the need to consider the social and economic effects of the increase. In last year's Spending Review funding through increased levels of landfill tax where recycled back into the Environmental Protective and Cultural Services block of the Formula Spending Share.
	(b) Funding has been made available on a consistent basis to assist local authorities in developing new waste technologies. In last years Spending Review the Government announced an increase in the Environmental Protective and Cultural Services block of the Formula Spending Share of £888 million by 2007–08 over 2004–05. Over the three-year period to 2005–06, authorities are also benefiting from a total of £294 million invested through the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund and its successor the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant, will provide a further £260 million over the three years to 2007–08. Finally, through the private finance initiative credits worth £355 million have been made available over the three years to 2005–06, with a further £535 million available in 2006–07 and 2007–08.

Landfill

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made in meeting EU Landfill Directive targets for (a) 2010, (b) 2013 and (c) 2020.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government, through the Office for Government Commerce are currently undertaking an information gathering project with the Local Government Association and other local government stakeholders to assess the current and future diversion capacity in England. The information from this project will give a clear indication about how the targets are being met. Data collection from waste collection and waste disposal authorities was undertaken in July, with a 70 per cent. response rate. The results of the exercise are currently being analysed and will be used to assess the potential LATS diversion, recycling recovery and data for current and future procurement contracts. The results will be published early in 2006. The intention is to review this project annually, to allow the Government to closely monitor and evaluate progress towards the targets.

Municipal Waste

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much municipal waste was produced in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on municipal waste arisings is available from the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey. Annual estimates for England are only available from 1996–97 to 2003–04.
	
		
			  Thousand tonnes 
		
		
			 1996–97 24,588 
			 1997–98 25,711 
			 1998–99 26,337 
			 1999–2000 27,480 
			 2000–01 28,057 
			 2001–02 28,905 
			 2002–03 29,494 
			 2003–04 29,105

Nappies

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of (a) household waste sent to landfill and (b) total biodegradable waste sent to landfill was made up of disposable nappies in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: We do not collect information on the amount of disposable nappies used nor of the disposal route for specific waste streams.
	The Strategy Unit report 'Waste Not Want Not' estimated that in 2000–01 nappies comprised around 2 per cent. of household waste, equivalent to 350,000 tonnes. In 2003–04 72 per cent. of our household waste was sent to landfill and just under 9 per cent. went to incineration.

Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of vehicular rights likely to be extinguished under clause 62 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill if enacted in its current form.

Jim Knight: holding answer 9 January 2006
	Clause 62 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill will extinguish certain unrecorded public rights of way for mechanically propelled vehicles. For the very reason that these rights of way are unrecorded, it is difficult to give an accurate account of the number of vehicular rights that are likely to be affected.
	A study commissioned by the Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales, which reported in March 2002, estimated that there are 2,700 km of rights of way (both unrecorded or recorded as other categories of rights of way) that, but for this legislation, would be likely to qualify as byways open to all traffic. It is likely that public rights for mechanically propelled vehicles will be extinguished over all of these routes under the new legislation.
	In addition, it is likely that public rights for mechanically propelled vehicles will be extinguished on most of the routes that are currently recorded as roads used as public paths. These extend to about 6,000 km in England and Wales, roughly 3 per cent. of the current rights of way network. However, some of these routes would already have been included in the results of the study referred to above, although we cannot quantify the extent of this overlap.
	Public rights of way for vehicles that are not mechanically propelled will not be affected, nor will private rights for mechanically propelled vehicles.

Poultry

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many poultry owners are registered with her Department; and what the flock size is of each registered poultry owner.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 15 December 2005
	As of midnight on 13 December 2005, 88 eligible poultry premises have been registered on the new GB poultry register. In some cases, an owner has registered more than one premises. The total numbers of poultry on each registered premises are as follows:
	
		
			 Poultry premise Total number of poultry 
		
		
			 1. 50 
			 2. 50 
			 3. 50 
			 4. 51 
			 5. 55 
			 6. 59 
			 7. 59 
			 8. 60 
			 9. 60 
			 10. 60 
			 11. 60 
			 12. 60 
			 13. 60 
			 14. 62 
			 15. 65 
			 16. 70 
			 17. 70 
			 18. 75 
			 19. 75 
			 20. 78 
			 21. 80 
			 22. 84 
			 23. 85 
			 24. 90 
			 25. 100 
			 26. 100 
			 27. 100 
			 28. 101 
			 29. 105 
			 30. 106 
			 31. 107 
			 32. 108 
			 33. 108 
			 34. 109 
			 35. 113 
			 36. 115 
			 37. 120 
			 38. 120 
			 39. 125 
			 40. 126 
			 41. 128 
			 42. 140 
			 43. 145 
			 44. 150 
			 45. 150 
			 46. 154 
			 47. 155 
			 48. 165 
			 49. 170 
			 50. 182 
			 51. 194 
			 52. 200 
			 53. 210 
			 54. 218 
			 55. 220 
			 56. 220 
			 57. 245 
			 58. 250 
			 59. 260 
			 60. 275 
			 61. 290 
			 62. 300 
			 63. 340 
			 64. 405 
			 65. 443 
			 66. 465 
			 67. 500 
			 68. 705 
			 69. 1,190 
			 70. 1,200 
			 71. 1,400 
			 72. 1,800 
			 73. 2,502 
			 74. 3,000 
			 75. 3,000 
			 76. 4,000 
			 77. 16,000 
			 78. 16,000 
			 79. 24,000 
			 80. 24,000 
			 81. 25,000 
			 82. 26,000 
			 83. 36,000 
			 84. 36,800 
			 85. 39,000 
			 86. 75,000 
			 87. 83,000 
			 88. 800,000

Racehorses (Whipping)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2005, Official Report, column 1854W, on racehorses (whipping), what recent representations she has received about the practice of whipping racehorses.

Ben Bradshaw: We have received occasional correspondence on the whipping of racehorses.

Radioactive Waste Management Committee

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the final report of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.

Elliot Morley: The final report is due in July 2006.

Rare Birds

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect the rare birds population on the North East coast.

Jim Knight: There is a suite of statutory sites protecting bird populations along the North East coast of England which form part of a national, European and international network of protected sites. Those areas designated for their national importance, sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), underpin and extend beyond the boundaries of six Special Protection Areas (SPAs), classified under the EC Birds Directive. Three of these SPAs are also designated as Ramsar sites under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. These sites are protected for their nationally and internationally important populations of waders, wildfowl, terns and seabirds 1 .
	1 Farne Islands SPA
	Coquet Island SPA
	Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs SPA
	Lindisfarne SPA and Ramsar site
	Northumbria Coast SPA and Ramsar site
	Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SPA and Ramsar site

Recovered Fuel Oil

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the status of recovered fuel oil in the definitions of waste recovery contained in the revised Waste Framework Directive.

Ben Bradshaw: On 21 December 2005 the European Commission published a proposal for a Thematic Strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste and associated legislative proposals. The latter includes a revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) (Council Directive 75/442/EEC as amended). The proposals are available on the Commission's website at http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/strategy.htm
	The draft WFD published by the Commission includes a proposed revision of the definition of recovery". The purpose of the revised definition is to enable a more effective distinction to be made between waste disposal operations and waste recovery operations—both of which are subject to control under the existing WFD. The revised definition of recovery" does not affect the status of recovered fuel oil (e.g. its classification as waste).
	The UK has actively participated in the Commission's consultations on the Waste Thematic Strategy and associated consultations; and will continue to be active in negotiations with the Commission and other member states on the revised WFD. In doing so, we will comply with the guidance on UK handling of EU proposals" available on the Cabinet Office's website at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/europe/uk_handling/index.asp—including appropriate consultation with external stakeholders.

Recycling

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of plastics used for baling on farms has been recycled in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not keep such records.

Waterways (Public Access)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the merits of amending the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to cover public access to waterways.

Jim Knight: We commissioned research into the opportunities and demand for water-based sport and recreation during the passage of the then Countryside and Rights of Way Bill through Parliament. The report, 'Water-Based Sport and Recreation: the facts', was published in December 2001. It concluded that there is some unmet demand for white water and long distance routes for canoeists, but that for most canoeists, as for most other water users, overall supply is roughly in balance with demand. We therefore concluded that the case for a statutory right of access had not been made and that we should pursue a voluntary approach instead.

Waterways (Public Access)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to improve public access to waterways.

Jim Knight: Following publication of the report, Water-Based Sport and Recreation: the facts" in 2001 we commissioned the Countryside Agency to work in partnership with other Government agencies to pilot four demonstration projects to develop best practice for access agreements for canoeists on key stretches of water in England. The feasibility study indicated that voluntary agreements can offer a means of increasing access to water and we asked the Environment Agency to complete agreements in all four pilot areas. In addition we have agreed to the development of a strategic approach to recreational access to water inland waters, led by the Environment Agency but in collaboration with other key stakeholders.

Rural Communities (North-East)

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to improve the economy of rural areas in the North East.

Jim Knight: Defra and other Government Departments have provided a significant amount of funding to improve the rural economy in the North East. This includes:
	Over £12.5 million which has been allocated over the six years of the current England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) project-based schemes (Rural Enterprise Scheme, Vocational Training Scheme and Processing and Marketing Grants);
	A significant amount of money will also be provided from ERDP agri-environment schemes to farmers to manage the landscape. This will offer wider economic gains in rural areas from a well maintained countryside;
	£11 million has been spent on average per annum through Structural Funds;
	The One North East Regional Rural Programme will deliver £20 million of assistance over the period 2005–08;
	£16 million of Regional Development Agency single pot assistance will also be delivered over the same 2005–08 period by Sub-Regional Partnerships in Durham, Tees Valley and Northumberland under the Rural and Environmental Programme.
	In addition, the West Durham Pathfinder project, one of eight local pathfinders announced in Rural Strategy 2004, is looking at a range of measures to contribute to improving the economic performance of the area, including developing the knowledge economy, and skills and enterprise development in support of sustainable tourism.
	I am placing more details of the projects Defra is supporting in the Library of the House and on the Department's website.

Sustainable Development

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what penalties are in place for Government Departments which failtheir sustainable development targets, as reviewed by the Sustainable Development Commission on 16 December.

Elliot Morley: These are internal targets that don't involve penalties but are open and transparent. The targets are set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. In accordance with that Framework, all Government Departments are responsible for their own performance and data. The Sustainable Development Commission reported on progress for the first time this year, in line with the commitment in the UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy that future reports should be 'wholly independent of Government'.

Waste Exports (Carbon Cycle)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the implications for carbon life cycle of shipping recyclable waste abroad.

Ben Bradshaw: No such research has been commissioned. The logistics of international cargo movements, including those of wastes for recycling, can enable containers to be used as efficiently as possible. For example, containers used to import goods into the UK may be offset by use of the same containers to take wastes for recycling to overseas destinations. In some circumstances the containers could otherwise be returning empty.

Wild Bird Ringing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department collects on wild bird ringing groups operating in the UK and licensed by the British Trust for Ornithology; and what advice and information her Department has circulated to such groups in each region on (a) monitoring of possible avian influenza and (b) obtaining seasonal influenza injections.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA continues to have regular discussions with a number of ornithological organizations in Great Britain for assistance in implementing a surveillance programme for avian influenza in wild birds. This comprises three strands:
	Reporting and sampling unusual mortality events in wild bird species
	sampling by cloacal swabbing of live caught birds at Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust sites at several locations across the UK
	taking faecal samples by cloacal swabbing from freshly shot birds submitted by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) from various sites across the UK
	Stewardship of the network of ringing groups lies with the ornithological organisations, including the BTO, and they have been working with DEFRA to identify the key issues concerning bird migration and behaviour, habitats, distribution of species of interest and issues around sensible measures for the protection of both employees and volunteers who may come into contact with wild birds through ringing and other activities.
	Following consultation with the Department of Health, advice is available on the DEFRA website regarding submission of bird carcasses from unusually high mortality events. DEFRA has also issued advice cleared by the health authorities to those that are conducting sampling of birds for wild bird surveillance.
	Further information can be found on DEFRA website at:
	http://defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wild birds/survey.htm
	DEFRA is guided by the Department of Health in relation to advice on seasonal influenza vaccination. The current position is that routine vaccination of poultry workers, veterinarians or those dealing with wild birds with seasonal human flu vaccine is not recommended, but should be used in a confirmed outbreak of avian flu as a protection against the possibility of re-assortment with human flu virus for those people who might be exposed to the virus during disease control activities.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs If he will make a statement on the prospects for peace in the middle east.

Jack Straw: Important progress has been made in recent months: the level of violence on both sides has been significantly reduced, and whilst much remains to be done, overall prospects have been transformed by the withdrawal from Gaza and northern settlements in the West Bank, in mid August. The UK and EU have been heavily involved in all this. Elections in the Occupied Territories for the Palestinian Legislative Council are due on 25 January, and a general election is due in Israel on 28 March.
	Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon deserves great credit for his courage and foresight in leading many of the recent positive developments. I am sure the whole House will join me in sharing my deep concern about his illness; our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends and the people of Israel.

Middle East

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Israeli Government about the peace process in the middle east.

Kim Howells: We regularly discuss progress on the Middle East Peace Process with the Israeli Government, at all levels. Since disengagement in September 2005, both my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have met with members of the Israeli Government to discuss progress on their Roadmap commitments. The Israelis tell us that they remain committed to making progress against the Roadmap.

Collinson Grant Report

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the findings of the Collinson Grant report.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office commissioned Collinson Grant to further improve its operations and efficiency and accepts many of the reports' conclusions. Actions resulting include substituting locally engaged for some UK-based staff; rationalising the various programmes intended to bring change in the FCO; reducing the number of people providing short term cover or working on temporary duties; improving the workings of the internal market and reducing administrative costs.

Extraordinary Rendition

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with EU colleagues about extraordinary rendition.

Jack Straw: On 21 November last year, EU Foreign Ministers discussed United States handling of detainees and agreed to ask for clarification of the reports of US transfer and detention of terrorist suspects through and in European countries. I subsequently wrote to EU partners to convey the response of the US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice.
	There have been further discussions about the matter at subsequent meetings in Brussels, and I have spoken bilaterally to EU Foreign Minister colleagues. I gave evidence on this matter to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 12 December.

Iraq

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance and advice has been given to the Iraqi Government to help build civil society.

Kim Howells: The Government are committed to supporting the development of a vibrant civil society in Iraq. Since 2004 we have committed over £17 million to programmes to help build civil society capacity. While we have built a strong relationship with the State Ministry for Civil Society the majority of our funding is targeted directly at civil society organisations. Projects have focused included protection of minority rights, trade unions, justice and the rule of law, inter-faith dialogue and media development.

Iraq

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Iraqi elections.

Kim Howells: Certified results have not been announced. However the fact that almost 11 million Iraqis from all communities voted illustrates their desire to determine their country's future. This shows great progress in building a new political system.
	All parties are engaged in determining the formation of a fully representative Government. This Government will face many challenges and there is much we and the international community can continue to do to assist.

Iran

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Iran's nuclear programme.

Jack Straw: In 2003, Iran was forced to admit that for many years it has been operating secret facilities to enrich uranium, in clear contravention of its obligations under the non-proliferation treaty. Other breaches relating to plutonium have been ascertained. We also know of Iranian contact with the Pakistani nuclear weapons expert A. Q. Khan, who admitted working with clandestine nuclear weapons programmes in Libya and North Korea.
	Since 2003, the United Kingdom, French and German Governments, with Javier Solana, the EU high representative, have worked tirelessly to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation by Iran through ensuring that it complies fully with its international obligations. As part of this, I ran agreed towards the end of 2003 to suspend enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.
	This morning, I regret to say, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran had broken seals at nuclear facilities, including its uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz, with a view to resuming research and development, including the introduction of uranium hexafluoride into the centrifuges. That is enrichment. This is a profound concern. It is a further rejection by Iran of IAEA board requests and a violation of the commitments that Iran made in the Paris agreement in November 2004. In view of all that, I shall be meeting my French and German colleagues and Javier Solana as soon as this can be arranged, to discuss our joint and firm response.

Iran

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent comments by the President of Iran concerning Israel.

Kim Howells: I condemn unreservedly President Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel to be relocated or destroyed, and his denial of the existence of the Holocaust. Such remarks are wholly unacceptable, and have no place in civilised debate. The United Nations Security Council has also condemned them, with our full backing.

World Trade Organisation

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs What discussions he has had with EU counterparts on the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Hong Kong.

Ian Pearson: My ministerial colleagues and I meet regularly with our EU counterparts. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Round is often discussed in that context. Ahead of the ministerial conference in Hong Kong, EU Foreign Ministers discussed the issue at several meetings chaired by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry chaired meetings of EU Trade Ministers in Hong Kong

Albania

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Albania's prospects for becoming an applicant country for membership of the European Union.

Kim Howells: The EU confirmed in June 2003 that the future of the Western Balkans lies in Europe. Albania has been negotiating a Stabilisation and Association Agreement since January 2003 as a first step towards realising its EU aspirations. Albania's progress toward the EU is conditional on implementing reforms, especially those needed to tackle organised crime and corruption.

India

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UK relations with India.

Kim Howells: Britain's bilateral relations with India are stronger than they have ever been. India is and will continue to be a key strategic partner for this country.
	The Prime Minister had a further productive summit meeting with Manmohan Singh in September 2005. There is a constant flow of ministerial visits in both directions.

Afghanistan

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps his Department is taking to encourage other Governments to give financial support to Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: We routinely lobby countries for financial support for the Government of Afghanistan's counter narcotics programmes. We have also lobbied for Afghanistan election funding on behalf of the UN.
	The UK is playing a leading role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. We will host a London Conference on Afghanistan on 31 January–1 February, co-chairing with the UN and the Afghan Government. The conference will seek continued international support for Afghanistan.

Lisbon Agenda

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Lisbon agenda.

Kim Howells: 2005 marked the midpoint of the Lisbon Agenda—and saw real progress on Better Regulation and the Services Directive and agreement on REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals), balancing the interests of the environment with the competitiveness of EU industry. There remains a need to build momentum behind reform. Member states have underlined their commitment to this by submitting individual Lisbon National Reform Programmes.

Lebanon

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of Syria's involvement in Lebanese internal affairs.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Lebanon on 4–5 January and was concerned by the extent to which Syrian behaviour still dominates Lebanon. For this reason we support the full implementation of all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

British Prisoners Overseas

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects are known to be in foreign jails.

Kim Howells: On 31 March 2005, we were aware of 2,764 British nationals in detention overseas. This, which is the most recent definitive figure we have, includes detainees on remand, as well as those serving custodial sentences.

China

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on religious freedom in China.

Ian Pearson: The Government are concerned about limitations on freedom of religious belief in China and the treatment of religious practitioners, including the political re-education" of monks and nuns in Tibet. We regularly raise our concerns with the Chinese Government. We did so at the last UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in June 2005. Freedom of religion was a focus of the last EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, which took place under the UK presidency in October 2005. I spoke at length about the persecution of Christians in China during an Adjournment debate on 5 July 2005. The EU Troika raised freedom of religion with the Chinese Government in Beijing on 29 December. Individual cases of concern were raised at this meeting and at the Dialogues. We will continue to raise our concerns about religious freedom with the Chinese authorities at every appropriate opportunity.

China

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken under the UK's EU presidency to advance the European Parliament's resolution of 8 September on religious freedom in China, with particular reference to the calls for the release of Pastor Zhang; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government remain concerned about freedom of religion in China. Progress was made in advancing the European Parliament's resolution on this matter in a number of respects during the UK presidency. Freedom of religion was a focus of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in October 2005. The UK presidency led a follow-up EU demarche in Beijing in December 2005. Several individual cases were raised at the Dialogue and in the demarche, including that of Pastor Zhang, whose case we continue to follow closely. An EU-China seminar on the ratification of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights was held in December 2005; and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture visited China in November 2005. We will continue to raise religious freedom with the Chinese Government, and urge further progress on points raised in the resolution.

China

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the People's Republic of China over the jailing of Xu Wanping.

Ian Pearson: We monitor closely the treatment of human rights defenders in China and regularly raise individual human rights cases with the Chinese Government, including at the biannual UK and EU-China Human Rights Dialogues. The Government have not made representations to the Chinese Government over the recent imprisonment of Xu Wanping, but we will look into his case.

Cigarettes

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on visitors from the UK to France and Belgium of French proposals to limit the carrying outside the home of more than 200 cigarettes at any one time; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have not made an assessment of the impact French proposals to limit the carrying of cigarettes outside the home would have on visitors from the UK to France. However, national measures concerning France's domestic treatment of tobacco purchased for personal use are a matter for the French Government, subject to compliance with their obligations under EC law.

Common Agricultural Policy

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals for Common Agricultural Policy reform the Government has made; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: EU Heads of State and Government agreed in December a proposal from the UK presidency for the Union's budget over 2007–13, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). That proposal included a provision allowing member states to transfer up to 20 per cent. of their funding for CAP market support and direct payments to rural development. This Government have always supported moving funds in this direction, and will continue to do so. The agreement in December also contained a commitment to review all EU expenditure, including the CAP, in 2008–09. On 2 December, the Government published a paper setting out the UK's vision for reform of the CAP, which we hope will inform that debate. This is available at http://www.hm-treasury.gov/uk/media/E76/04/a_Vision_for_the_CAP.pdf. The Government are in on-going discussions with other member states and other stakeholders about their views on that vision, and their own ideas for the future of the CAP. The UK presidency also managed to secure agreement with other member states in November on a historic liberalising reform of the EU sugar regime.

Departmental Estate

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the former (a) buildings and (b) land of (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies, (B) agencies and (C) independent statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible which have been sold since 7 May 1997; what the sale price of each (1) was at the time of sale and (2) is at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by his Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.

Douglas Alexander: A list of the buildings and land sold by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the British Council, a Public Corporation receiving a grant-in-aid from the FCO, since the start of financial year 1997–98 will be placed in the Library of the House. No FCO non-departmental public bodies have sold buildings or land since 1997. The BBC World Service is part of the BBC, a public corporation, and is funded by the FCO through a grant in aid. It has sold only one property since 1997, a building in Singapore in 2001, the proceeds of which were approximately £3.3 million and which were re-invested in the World Service's Oman transmitter project.
	It was agreed in the 1997 Comprehensive Spending Review settlement that the FCO should retain 100 per cent. of the proceeds from property sales for re-investment, up to an agreed ceiling for each spending review period, which has not been exceeded. We do not re-value properties once sold, and could not do so now without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental Expenditure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many widescreen televisions have been purchased by his Department for use in London Headquarters in each of the last five years; and what the cost was in each year.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not categorise expenditure down to this level of detail in its accounts. In addition, the FCO delegates budgets for such equipment to individual internal departments and does not therefore hold a centralised record of such purchases. The information could therefore only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	Standard FCO guidance applies to the purchase of television equipment. This is based on achieving value for money.

Departmental Expenditure

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the administrative costs were of each non-departmental public body for which he has responsibility in the last year for which figures are available; what the total of such costs was in that year; and whether the costs are regarded for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable.

Douglas Alexander: The breakdown of the administrative costs in 2004–05 for each of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) is as follows:
	
		British Council
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 Employee costs 55,897 
			 Accommodation costs, rent, rates etc. 22,000 
			 Office service costs 44,373 
			 Depreciation and cost of capital charges 6,642 
			 Other non-cash items eg auditors' remuneration 155 
			 Total 129,067 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Westminster Foundation for Democracy  
			 Employee costs 546,309 
			 Accommodation costs, rent, rates etc. 54,086 
			 Office service costs 218,583 
			 Depreciation and cost of capital charges 11,359 
			 Other non-cash items eg auditors' remuneration 8,114 
			 Total 838,451 
			   
			 Great Britain and China Centre  
			 Employee costs 177,576 
			 Accommodation costs, rent, rates etc. 43,784 
			 Office service costs 15,836 
			 Depreciation and cost of capital charges 5,739 
			 Other non-cash items eg auditors' remuneration 2,891 
			 Total 245,826 
			   
			 Britain Association for Central and Eastern Europe  
			 Employee costs 169,196 
			 Accommodation costs, rent, rates etc. 40,471 
			 Office service costs 16,977 
			 Depreciation and cost of capital charges 5,858 
			 Other non-cash items eg auditors' remuneration 21,175 
			 Total 253,677 
			   
			 Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission  
			 Employee costs 245,204 
			 Accommodation costs, rent, rates etc. 0 
			 Office service costs 19,000 
			 Depreciation and cost of capital charges 0 
			 Other non-cash items eg auditors' remuneration 23,850 
			 Total 288,054 
		
	
	NDPB expenditure, including the administrative costs of all FCO NDPBs, is classified as non-identifiable" for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analysis.

EU Agreements (Human Rights)

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what review mechanisms the EU has established to assess how its agreements with third countries are being implemented with regard to human rights.

Douglas Alexander: EU Heads of Mission and European Commission delegations report regularly on human rights issues in third countries. The EU holds regular political dialogue with all countries with which it has agreements, and this includes discussion of the relevant human rights provisions. Under the Barcelona Process, the EU is establishing sub-committees with all Mediterranean partners with functioning Association Agreements to monitor the implementation of their human rights commitments. The European Neighbourhood Policy, through its country-specific Action Plans, links the development of relations with the EU to economic and political reform, including human rights and democracy. The Partnership Agreement with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (the Cotonou Agreement) provides under its Article 8 for a systematic dialogue on the three essential elements of human rights, democratic principles and rule of law, with formal consultation procedures which have already been invoked on a number of occasions. The Council's Working Group on Human Rights is also developing a regular overview of EU dialogues with third countries.

EU Agreements (Human Rights)

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received representations from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights network on their human rights review on the EU and Israel.

Douglas Alexander: On 9 December 2005, officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office met with representatives of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights network to discuss its human rights review. They discussed at length the recent agreement between the EU and Israel to establish a working group on human rights. My officials were grateful for the information provided by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights network and are in contact with them regarding specific human rights issues.

EU Agreements (Human Rights)

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will makea statement on arrangements for assessing compliance with the terms of the EU-Israel Association agreement.

Douglas Alexander: The EU maintains a regular dialogue at official and ministerial level with Israel to monitor our respective commitments under the framework of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. In this respect, the EU-Israel Political Dialogue and Co-operation sub-committee met for the first time on 21 November 2005 to assess the implementation of the political clauses in the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the Israel European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. At the meeting, the EU and Israel proposed the creation of a new working group on human rights.

EU Agreements (Human Rights)

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the EU has set up a human rights sub-committee under the EU-Israel Association agreement.

Douglas Alexander: The EU and Israel agreed to establish a working group on human rights at the EU-Israel Political Dialogue and Co-operation sub-committee on 21 November 2005. The European Commission will be consulting Israel and member states on the modalities of the EU-Israel Human Rights Working Group with a view to a meeting taking place in the first quarter of 2006. Reinforcing our dialogue with Israel on human rights through this working group will help to monitor the implementation of the relevant provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

EU Committees

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK Joint Ministerial Committee meetings regarding European Union issues have been held since 1 July 1999.

Douglas Alexander: No Joint Ministerial Committee (Europe) meetings were held in 1999 and 2000, two meetings were held in 2001, two in 2002, four in 2003, 11 in 2004 and nine in 2005.

Kyrgyzstan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospect for democratic change in Kyrgyzstan.

Douglas Alexander: As presidency of the EU, the UK noted that the presidential elections in July 2005 marked tangible progress by the Kyrgyz Republic towards meeting Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe commitments, as well as other international standards for democratic elections. The UK, both through the EU and bilaterally, is now encouraging the Kyrgyz Government to take forward the recommendations of the International Election Observation Mission and to pursue further democratic reform, including constitutional reform.

Kyrgyzstan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to foster democracy in Kyrgyzstan.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has funded a variety of projects to promote democracy and good governance in Kyrgyzstan. Up to £150,000 is available for smaller scale project work in these areas in Kyrgyzstan for 2005–06.
	Projects completed in the current financial year have included electoral support initiatives, prison reform and media/freedom of expression projects. On-going projects cover voter education, advancing parliamentary accountability and dialogue between citizens and parliamentarians, and promoting the abolition of the death penalty. The FCO also funded 10 per cent. of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election monitoring missions for both the Kyrgyz parliamentary and presidential elections in 2005. Additionally, the Department for International Development's programme work in Kyrgyzstan includes an allocation of £4.9 million over a five-year period aimed at the modernisation of public administration and promotion of transparent management of revenues by Government, both of which support democracy building.

Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans are being discussed to celebrate throughout the Commonwealth the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession in 2012.

Douglas Alexander: Planning for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession has not yet started. However, I have no doubt that the suggestion of celebrations throughout the Commonwealth will be factored into the planning process.

UK Embassies/Consulates

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many consulates have (a) closed and (b) opened in the last 10 years.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has closed 11 and has opened six consulates in the last 10 years. The following table provides further details. Like any well-run organisation, the FCO continues to realign its resources flexibly in line with UK interests.
	
		Consulates
		
			  Country Closed Opened 
		
		
			 1997–98 Colombia Barranquilla(2)  
			 1998–99 Malaysia Kuching  
			  Thailand Chiang Mai  
			  Togo  Lome(2) 
			 
			 1999–2000 USA Cleveland  
			  China  Chongqing 
			  Japan  Fukuoka 
			  Sweden  Gothenburg 
			 
			 2000–01 Haiti  Port-au-Prince(2) 
			  USA  Denver 
			 
			 2004–05 Cameroon Douala(2)  
			  Portugal Oporto  
			 
			 2005–06 USA Dallas  
			  USA San Juan(2)  
			  Japan Fukuoka(2)  
			  Germany Frankfurt  
			  Germany Stuttgart  
			 Total  11 6 
		
	
	(2) Consulates staffed by locally engaged staff only.

UK Embassies/Consulates

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) cultural and (b) military attaches are based at each UK embassy.

Douglas Alexander: Cultural work overseas is the lead responsibility of the British Council. The British Council has 291 UK-based staff working overseas. Whether or not such staff hold the formal title of Cultural Attache depends on various factors, including local diplomatic practice. The UK Defence Attache network consists of 123 posts. To obtain the information in the format requested would incur disproportionate costs as it is not held centrally.

UK Embassies/Consulates

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) non-UK citizens, (b) UK citizens, (c) non-EU citizens and (d) non-Commonwealth citizens are working at British embassies and consulates.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office employs 12,973 staff overseas, of which 2,910 are UK-based and 10,063 are locally employed. UK-based staff are British citizens. Local Staff nationality records are not maintained centrally but are held at individual posts. This information could therefore only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

UK Embassies/Consulates

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) embassies and (b) consulates there are outside capital cities.

Douglas Alexander: The British embassy in Kazakhstan is in Almaty. We are planning to move to the new capital Astana in the course of 2006. There are 65 United Kingdom consulates outside capital cities.

UK Embassies/Consulates

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) embassies and (b) consulates are shared with another country.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 646W.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental Expenditure

John Spellar: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much the Commission spent on bottled water in 2004–05.

Nick Harvey: The cost of providing bottled water for Westminster Hall, Committee and other meeting rooms in 2004–05 was £11,400.

Energy Wastage

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what steps the Commission is taking to limit energy wastage on the Parliamentary Estate; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: A range of measures are being taken to improve energy efficiency on the Parliamentary Estate. A new Energy and Water Saving Policy which contains targets for energy consumption, water consumption and carbon emissions was adopted in late 2005 by both Houses. These targets mirror those set by most Government Departments as proposed in the 'Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate', published by DEFRA.
	Consultants have been recently appointed to advise on the renewal of the current basement heating and cooling systems and the Carbon Trust has been working with the Parliamentary Estate since 2004 to advise on methods to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Recently consultants have advised on heating controls, kitchen energy use and heating, ventilation and air conditioning plant and have identified scope for energy consumption reduction in some areas.
	To raise staff awareness of the importance of energy efficiency the Parliamentary Estates Directorate is embarking on an awareness campaign. The December 2005 issue of 'inHouse', the staff magazine for the House of Commons and the House of Lords, contained an article on the Parliamentary Estate's Energy Savers Group. Guest speakers are to be invited to make presentations on environmental issues to staff every few months. The first presentation was made by Professor David Bellamy on 21 November 2005, entitled Sustainability and governance" and was very well received. A second speaker, Dave Hampton has been asked to make a presentation during February 2006 on reducing carbon emissions.

Mobile Phones

Sarah Teather: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many mobile telephones are (a) rented and (b) owned by the House authorities; and what the total cost was in 2004–05.

Nick Harvey: At 1 January 2006 the Parliamentary ICT service provided 275 mobile phones for use by staff of the House of Commons and the Parliamentary ICT service itself. All these telephones are owned by the House authorities. No mobile telephones are rented.
	The cost of the service in 2004–05 was around £54,600.

Office Equipment

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how (a) computers, (b) printers, (c) telephones and (d) office furniture no longer required by the House Estate are disposed of; how many computers have been disposed of in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons currently has a number of arrangements in place for the disposal of computers and printers. All of these ensure that the equipment is disposed of in a secure and environmentally sound manner. If possible equipment is offered for resale Member's equipment with useful life remaining is redeployed within the House Administration. There is no record of the number of computers disposed of across the House during the last 10 years.
	Telephone handsets are refurbished and reused if possible and otherwise disposed of safely. Redundant mobile telephones are sent for recycling and the proceeds are donated to the children's ward at St. Thomas's Hospital. Office furniture is sold at auction by a Government approved auction house.

Project Costs

Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 1369W, on project costs, if he will list (a) the 250 readily identifiable projects and (b) other construction projects costing in excess of £100,000.

Nick Harvey: A list of the 250 readily identifiable projects has been placed in the Library. This list includes construction projects costing in excess of £100,000.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Administration Costs

Angus Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which functions of his core Department are carried out in (a) England and (b) London; and what administration costs were associated with these functions for each area in the last year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The objectives of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) are set out in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Annual Report 2005" (Cm 6526, June 2005).
	The total net administration costs incurred by ODPM (excluding the Government Offices for the Regions) for 2004–05 were £166,963,000. ODPM does not monitor the regional breakdown of administration costs relating to the central Department. Such a breakdown could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Administration Costs

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total administration costs for his core Office are; and whether these are regarded as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The total net administration costs incurred by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (excluding the Government Offices for the Regions) for 2004–05 were £166,963,000.
	For the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses, 67 per cent. of these costs are identifiable and 33 per cent. are non-identifiable.

Administration Costs

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the administrative costs were of each agency for which he has responsibility in the last year for which figures are available; what the total of such costs was in that year; and whether the costs are regarded for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2004–05, gross administrative costs for executive agencies sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister were as follows:
	
		
			 Executive agencies Admin costs (gross) (£) 
		
		
			 The Fire Service College (3)4,786,000 
			 The Planning Inspectorate (3)47,670,000 
			 The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (4)6,710,000 
			 Total 59,166,000 
		
	
	(3) identifiable
	(4) non-identifiable

Administration Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the administrative costs were of each non-departmental public body for which he has responsibility in the last year for which figures are available; what the total of such costs was in that year; and whether the costs are regarded for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2004–05, administrative costs for executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) were as follows:
	
		
			 Executive NDPBs Admin costs (£) 
		
		
			 English Partnerships (5)40,000,000 
			 The Housing Corporation (5)42,341,000 
			 The Leasehold Advisory Service (5)781,162 
			 London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (5)1,234,320 
			 The Standards Board for England (6)9,534,000 
			 Stonebridge Housing Action Trust (5)3,733,000 
			 Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation (5)1,125,099 
			 West Northants Development Corporation (5)109,190 
			 The Valuation Tribunal Service (6)10,793,000 
			 Total 109,650,771 
		
	
	(5) identifiable
	(6) non-identifiable

Cleveland Fire Authority

Iain Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to re-examine to top-up the proposed changes to the 'A' risk formula grant share in relation to Cleveland Fire Authority in the light of the Hemel Hempstead oil depot fire.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The category classification of risk is obsolete and therefore the 'A' risk indicator is no longer used in the formula grant calculations.
	Following full public consultation over the summer, my hon. Friend the Minister for local government confirmed on 5 December 2005 that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister propose an indicator to measure top tier control of major accident hazards (COMAH) sites per head as the high risk top up element in the formula.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will consider all points raised in the current consultation before putting forward our proposed formula for use in 2006–07 and 2007–08, which the House will have the opportunity to debate.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the criteria are for allocating mobile telephones to staff in his Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A business justification must be provided to support the purchase of mobile phones. The justification must include; why the provision of a mobile phone is necessary, the type of equipment to be provided and which members of staff will make use of the phone.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many short message service messages were sent via mobile telephones owned by his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Faith Communities

John Battle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the publications his Department and its predecessors have produced relating to faith communities since 1989.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established on 29 May 2002, since then the publications produced relating to faith communities are as follows:
	2002—The Community Cohesion Guide' Report of the ICRC Community Cohesion Seminar in Bradford.
	2004—ODPM/Home Office revised version of the Community Cohesion Guide. Tools for Regeneration—A Holistic Approach to Faith Communities'.
	2005—Diversity and Neighbourhood Renewal fact-sheet. 'The Local Inter-Faith Guide: Community Co-operation in Action'.
	This was produced with the Inter-Faith Network for the UK.

Local Government Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of supporting borrowing by local authorities in England and Wales for each year since 1997; and what estimates have been made for each of the next five years.

Phil Woolas: Government support for borrowing by local authorities is issued as part of the Revenue Support Grant Settlement. Revenue Support Grant is an unhypothecated resource and therefore it is not possible to separately identify figures for the costs of supported borrowing. Neither are there estimates of supported borrowing for future years.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that the quality of British environmental science is not harmed by the proposed closure of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Monks Wood; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 9 January 2006
	The Government are fully committed to maintaining the quality of environmental science in the UK and provides funding to the Natural Environment Research Council for this purpose. NERC is currently consulting widely with stakeholders on proposals on how best the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology can contribute on a sustainable basis to this. I am sure that NERC Council will consider all evidence and views on the potential impact of the proposals, including proposals for the closure of the CEH site at Monks Wood.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the merits of a statutory race Committee in relation to the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government believe that Committees can play a valuable role in supporting the work of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights through enabling engagement with the communities it serves and ensuring that they can contribute to its strategy and policies. It has therefore provided wide ranging and flexible powers in the Equality Bill for the Commission, as an independent body, to establish Committees as it sees fit and to delegate functions to them. It will be open to the Commission to decide to establish a Committee to oversee its race equality work including its partnership with the Racial Equality Councils and its role in promoting good relations between communities.

Data Storage

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken to ensure that users of internet data storage companies are informed of the data protection legislation governing providers based in the EU and US.

Alun Michael: holding answer 9 January 2006
	Enforcement and guidance regarding, the Data Protection Act, which is derived from the EU Data Protection Directive, is the responsibility of the Information Commissioner, details of the Commissioner's work can be found at (http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/). The Data Protection Act puts an obligation on UK-based companies to ensure that data is adequately protected, regardless of where the data are stored.
	Advice regarding data protection legislation has been provided as part of the DTI's information security business advice web pages (http://www.dti.gov.uk/industries/infonnation_security/) and through various information security publications. The advice is generic and not targeted at any specific sector. It's based upon how Information Security standard BS 7799 can contribute towards meeting the security requirements of the UK Data Protection Act.

Data Storage

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of the UK data storage industry.

Alun Michael: holding answer 9 January 2006
	The DTI's Technology Programme supports strategically important technologies and knowledge transfer, often cutting across the needs of specific sectors. The Programme aims to fund industry-academic collaborative research and development projects focusing on industrially relevant leading-edge technology development. It is currently funding a £10 million competition focusing on Data and Content Storage, Management, Retrieval and Analysis".
	In addition, UK Trade and Investment aims to attract key businesses to set up or extend high value added operations in the UK, as well as to market the strengths of the UK's ICT sectors generally. Activities include inviting overseas companies that are interested in buying from, partnering with or exchanging technology to the UK to meet with UK companies. The UK has attracted and retained several businesses with interests in data storage. Notable examples are, Hewlett Packard, which conducts storage research within its laboratories in Bristol, Seagate Technologies which manufactures key magnetic components in Northern Ireland and an Atlanta based company called Iron Mountain who recently established a data storage centre in Scotland, providing 100 jobs.
	The Government recognises that information technology more widely is a key source of business competitiveness and productivity and is backing a coherent strategy and action plan for IT skills, spearheaded by e-Skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for IT, Telecoms and Contact centres. Employers across the sector are pledging support for the concept of an e-Business Academy as a national hub for IT-related skills development and support.

Departmental Expenditure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer on 31 October 2005, Official Report, column 698W what the total cost of (a) publications and (b) surveys by his Department were including (i) commissioning costs and (ii) printing costs.

Alan Johnson: To distinguish between surveys and other types of publications and to identify separate costs for commissioning and printing could only be done at disproportionate cost as this information is not held centrally.
	Pursuant to my answer on 31 October 2005, when I informed you that between 1 January 1997 and 20 October 2005, the number of titles produced by my department was 10,066, the total cost of producing these titles including commissioning and printing amounted to £66,007,130. This equates to an average cost of £6,600 per title.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings of the (a) Standing Committee for the approximation of the laws of the member states concerning pressure equipment, (b) Committee on electronic signatures and (c) Advisory Committee on the implementation of open network provision (ONP) have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The information is as follows:
	(a) The mandate of the pressure equipment Standing Committee is contained in Article 7.2 of the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC. The provisions of this Article have not yet been put into effect and the Committee has therefore never met.
	(b) The Electronic Signatures Committee, set up under Article 9 of Directive 1999/93/EC, did not meet during the UK presidency.
	(c) The Advisory Committee on the implementation of open network provision (ONP) did not meet during the UK presidency.
	No provisions would have been made for representation of the devolved governments as these are not devolved issues.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings of the (a) Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the sector of measuring instruments and methods of metrological control, (b) Committee for the adaption to technical progress of directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the sector of construction plant and equipment and (c) Committee for the adaption of technical progress of directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the sector of pressure vessels have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The information is as follows:
	(a) Unfortunately it is not possible to identify a committee which precisely fits the description provided. However no meeting of the Measuring Instruments Committee set up under directive 2004/22/EC (concerning measuring instruments and methods of metrological control) have taken place in the UK presidency.
	(b) Unfortunately it is not possible to identify a committee which precisely fits the description provided. The sort of plant and equipment mentioned might typically fall under the scope of directive 98/37/EC on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to machinery. The Standing Committee set up under Article 6 of this directive met in Brussels on 11–12 October 2005. The meeting was chaired by the European Commission and one official from the Department of Trade and Industry and one from the Health and Safety executive represented the United Kingdom.
	(c) There is no 'pressure vessels directive' and so there is no such Committee. There is a Simple Pressure Vessels Directive (87/404/EEC) but this does not include any provision for such a Committee to be established. Issues concerning the administration of 87/404/EEC would, in principle, be handled by the Committee provided for under the Pressure Equipment Directive (97/23/EC). I am responding separately to the hon Member's question about the Directive.
	No provisions were made for representation of the devolved governments as these are not devolved issues.

Foreign Registered Companies

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list foreign registered companies that have received a grant from each regional development agency (RDA) in each year since RDAs were created.

Alun Michael: England's regional development agencies do not generally keep details of companies based on country of registration for all their programmes.

Internet Rogue Dialling

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to compensate victims of internet rogue dialling.

Alun Michael: In the first instance it is a matter for the telecoms companies to resole the problems their own customers may face with charges from internet rogue diallers. Customers with disputed bills can use the alternative dispute resolution schemes, of which all telecoms companies are members, to sort out disagreements.
	The Government have taken action to ensure consumers are adequately protected from internet rogue diallers. As a result of discussions with ICSTIS, the premium rate services regulator, a prior permission scheme for internet diallers was put in place in August 2004. This means that all diallers have to be approved by ICSTIS before they can be released. ICSTIS can order service providers to pay redress if they breach the Code, with the threat of automatic barring from providing any premium rate service if they default. The number of complaints has fallen dramatically since the scheme was introduced in August 2004. Complaints to ICSTIS fell to a low of about 50 per month in recent months, down from 10,000 per month when this problem was at its peak in 2004. The Government also asked the media and telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to review premium rate regulation in August 2004.
	Ofcom made a number of recommendations to reduce the scope for consumer harm. Many of these recommendations have already been implemented including raising the maximum penalty to £250,000 for those that abuse premium rate services. The flow of funds from network operators to service providers has now been slowed down. This will keep money in the system, which can then be used to pay redress to consumers who have been the victims of a scam. New rules on compensation for consumers who have been subject to a scam are being implemented. This change will mean that not only will ICSTIS be able to order refunds from service providers but also to collect the money from the telecoms companies to compensate consumers if it is not forthcoming from the service provider.

Internet Rogue Dialling

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government are taking to tackle internet rogue dialling.

Alun Michael: The Government have taken action to ensure consumers are adequately protected from internet rogue diallers. As a result of discussions with ICSTIS, the premium rate services regulator, a prior permission scheme for internet diallers was put in place in August 2004. This means that all diallers have to be approved by ICSTIS before they can be released. ICSTIS can order service providers to pay redress if they breach the Code, with the threat of automatic barring from providing any premium rate service if they default. The number of complaints has fallen dramatically since the scheme was introduced in August 2004. Complaints to ICSTIS fell to a low of about 50 per month in recent months, down from 10,000 per month when this problem was at its peak in 2004. The Government also asked the media and telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to review premium rate regulation in August 2004.
	Ofcom made a number of recommendations to reduce the scope for consumer harm. Many of these recommendations have already been implemented including raising the maximum penalty to £250,000 for those that abuse premium rate services. The flow of funds from network operators to service providers has now been slowed down. This will keep money in the system, which can then be used to pay redress to consumers who have been the victims of a scam. New rules on compensation for consumers who have been subject to a scam are being implemented. This change will mean that not only will ICSTIS be able to order refunds from service providers but also to collect the money from the telecoms companies to compensate consumers if it is not forthcoming from the service provider.

Internet Rogue Dialling

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the cost of internet rogue dialling to consumers in each year since 2003; and how many consumers he estimates were affected in each year.

Alun Michael: Internet rogue diallers are regulated by the premium rate services regulator, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS).
	ICSTIS has no information on the cost of Internet rogue diallers to consumers either as a cumulative figure or in year on year statistics.
	ICSTIS is not in possession of sufficient information to estimate the number of consumers affected by rogue diallers though ICSTIS does record and investigate all complaints that the public submit.
	To this end, ICSTIS received the following numbers of complaints about dialler services in the years 2003 until 2005.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2003 4,600 
			 2004 57,750 
			 2005 4,550 
		
	
	As the figures clearly demonstrate, ICSTIS received record numbers of complaints about dialler services during 2004, which resulted in the introduction of a prior permission regime by ICSTIS for the software that enabled these services. This includes prominent pricing and premium rate number information prior to access of the service as well as the requirement to provide an on-screen clock that displays call duration and cumulative costs for a user.
	The level of complaints in 2005, demonstrates the impact that ICSTIS has had on the number of complaints received from members of the public.
	In the first instance it is a matter for the telecoms companies to decide how to resolve the problems facing their own customers over charges from Internet rogue diallers. Customers with disputed bills can use the services of the alternative dispute resolution schemes, of which all telecoms companies are members, to sort out disagreements. New rules on compensation for consumers who have been subject to a scam are also being implemented by ICSTIS. This change will mean that not only will ICSTIS be able to order refunds from service providers but also to collect the money from the telecoms companies to compensate consumers if it is not forthcoming from the service provider.

Natural Environment Research Council

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what total financial support from public funds was allocated to the Natural Environment Research Council in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 9 January 2006
	Amounts allocated to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) from the Science Budget are as follows (as set out in the Science Budget allocations publications, http://www.ost.gov.uk/research/funding/budget01–04/index.htm.)
	
		
			 Science budget £ million 
		
		
			 2000–01 181.8 
			 2001–02 192.9 
			 2002–03 205.4 
			 2003–04 264.1 
			 2004–05 314.2 
		
	
	In addition, NERC receives public funding from a number of other Government Departments and agencies.

Retirement Age (Public Sector Workers)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the retirement age for existing public sector workers will remain at 60 years.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	Retirement age is not the same as the normal pension age but simply the age at which workers leave the labour market. The normal pension age is the age at which scheme members can draw an unreduced pension from the scheme—this has been the subject of recent negotiations.
	On 18 October 2005 the Government reached agreement with unions on a set of principles underpinning reform in the civil service, NHS and teachers pension schemes. The main focus of that agreement was the proposed increase in the normal pension age from 60 to 65. The TUC accepted that new schemes for new entrants would have a normal pension age of 65, and that these schemes would be launched as soon as practicable following a period of scheme-specific consultation to be completed by June 2006. Existing staff are not being compelled to move to a normal pension age of 65. Other aspects of scheme reform, apart from the normal pension age issue, will be considered in scheme specific negotiations to be completed as soon as practicable.

Technology Programme

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many projects have been funded through his Department's technology programme and its nearest equivalent predecessors in (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) other businesses, (c) universities and (d) other organisations in each year since 1997; what the total sums awarded were in each case; and what the total value was of contributions to funded projects required from participants in each case.

Alun Michael: Substantive information addressing sizes and type of organisation offered support, sums involved and contributions from recipient organisations is contained in Annex A to the annual report of the Technology Strategy Board which is in the Libraries of the House. Work is progressing on a catalogue of support for applications to the first three competitions are due to be published in March 2006.

Technology Programme

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding was provided for each individual project that has been awarded funds under his Department's technology programme; over how many years this funding is provided for the project; what the name is of each participant in the project; what category of organisation each falls into; how much funding was provided to each participant; and what the value was of each contribution required to be made by a participant in each case.

Alun Michael: The restricted commercial nature of support offered by the technology programme to consortia and the stage reached by them accepting and confirming their intra-project collaborations, prevents the release of detailed information on individual projects. However, substantive information addressing sizes and types of organisations offered support, sums involved and contributions from recipient organisations is contained in Annex A to the annual report of the Technology Strategy Board which is in the Libraries of the House. Work is progressing on a catalogue of support for applications to the first three competitions are due to be published in March 2006.

Temporary Migration

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to encourage temporary migration by workers from abroad.

Gerry Sutcliffe: While the Home Office has lead responsibility for migration policy, my officials are working closely with their Home Office colleagues to ensure that the needs of business for migrant workers are taken into account.
	The UK needs migration—tourists, students and migrant workers make a vital contribution to the UK economy. We need to ensure, however, that while we let in migrants with the skills and talents to benefit Britain we stop those who are trying to abuse our hospitality and place a burden on our society.
	The aim is to ensure that those who can contribute most to the UK are selected for entry and that the country takes in only as many people as our economy needs at any one time.
	The 5-year strategy on Immigration and asylum published in February 2005 set out the next stage of the Government's comprehensive reform of the UK's immigration and asylum system of which the points-based selective migration system was a part. It puts the interests of Britain first with strict controls that work.
	The main aims of the new points-based system will be, to:
	improve public confidence in the system;
	fill skills gaps;
	attract highly productive and highly skilled workers and students;
	attract investment and increase productivity and flexibility in the labour market; and
	ensure people leave at the end of their stay.
	The new system will be clearer and more transparent and easier for applicants and employers to understand and use and there will be more objective and easily verifiable criteria.
	The consultation period on the consultation document Making Migration Work for Britain" closed on 7 November. The Home Office are now analysing all the responses received. We anticipate the Government response to the consultation exercise will be published in the new year, together with a clearer timetable for the next steps. We will continue to consult with key stakeholders on specific issues as we formulate our response and during future stages of the process.
	We are also aware that migrant workers may face difficulties in understanding and asserting their rights. We have offered to work with the Governments of all the new member states, to prepare bi-lingual know before you go" leaflets, giving advice on questions to ask before leaving the country and on legal protections offered to workers including agency workers. It is particularly important to reach workers in the host country before they leave as it is often much harder to help workers, who may not speak English and have no accommodation arranged, once they arrive.
	To date we have produced leaflets in partnership with the Polish and Lithuanian Governments. These followed a similar leaflet we produced in partnership with the Portuguese Government, and benefited from input from the TUC, the CBI and other stakeholders. These have been distributed widely in both the workers' home country and the UK. In Poland, for example, they have been publicised on television and our embassy and the Polish authorities have worked hard to distribute them via job centres, recruitment fairs and other channels. The text of the leaflets is also available on the DTI website—ttp://www.dti.gov.uk/er/agency/migrant_workers.htm

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

2012 Olympics

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provision she is making for access for disabled and elderly spectators at the Olympics in 2012.

Tessa Jowell: Provisions for disabled people and the elderly are based on the successful 'Games Mobility' model used at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002. This will operate throughout both the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and covers every spectator service from disability awareness training for staff, inclusive ticketing processes, special transport and drop-off systems. Among other things, the service will include pre-booking of various forms of wheelchair; bookable access to individual electric buggies for transfers to competition venues; provision of personalised travel plans at the point of event ticket purchase; provision of wide access at airport-style security screening; appropriate signposting; audio-visual information provision; and induction loops at stations.
	Transport plans for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will provide excellent access for all spectators and all competition venues will be served by fully accessible transport options. Mobility impaired spectators travelling by car will either be able to park close to venues or at spectator transport malls, and use Games Mobility facilities to transfer to public transport.
	The interim Olympic Delivery Authority is developing its approach to the design of the Olympic Park and venues to ensure they are accessible environments, the principles for which will be contained in the 'Access for All1 strategy which is currently being prepared as part of the planning process. This strategy is expected to be ready later this year.

Libraries

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) books, (b) DVDs, (c) video cassettes, (d) computer games and (e) audio books have been available in library service stock in (i) Brent and (ii) London in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 899W, on the total book stock held by libraries across inner and outer London and my answer to her of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1612W, on audio-visual materials held by Brent Libraries and by other libraries across Greater London. The numbers of books held by Brent from 1997–98 is shown in the table. Information about the number of computer games is not held centrally. However, the number of multi-media, open learning and language packs and, separately, CD-Roms and Software items held by Brent Libraries and those in the rest of Greater London (including Brent) is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Total bookstock held by Brent libraries 
		
		
			 1997–98 579,669 
			 1998–99 644,330 
			 1999–00 532,094 
			 2000–01 483,798 
			 2001–02 466,792 
			 2002–03 451,221 
			 2003–04 443,185 
		
	
	
		
			  Brent Greater London 
			  Multi-media, opening learning and language packs CD-roms and software Multi-media, opening learning and language packs CD-roms and software 
		
		
			 1997–98 (7)— (7)— 17,567 4,607 
			 1998–99 536 103 20,369 5,767 
			 1999–2000 (7)— (7)— 11,443 7,401 
			 2000–01 203 505 13,342 18,846 
			 2001–02 518 1,372 9,977 40,415 
			 2002–03 25 (7)— 24,765 19,118 
			 2003–04 1,475 85 33,447 18,143 
		
	
	(7) No return entered to CIPFA in this category for this year
	Source:
	Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Public Library Statistics

Public Service Agreement

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how her Department defines high quality for the purposes of its public service agreement performance target 1; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The document 'High Quality PE and Sport for Young People—A Guide to recognising and achieving high quality PE and sport in schools and clubs' (DfES/DCMS, March 2004), provides a detailed description of the outcomes of high quality physical education and school sport. For the purposes of the joint DCMS/DfES PE and school sport public service agreement target, high quality PE and school sport produces young people with the skills, understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities, in line with their abilities.
	A further document, 'Do You Have High Quality PE and Sport in Your School—A guide to self-evaluating and improving the quality of PE and school sport' (DfES/DCMS, January 2005), helps teachers to use the pupil outcomes of high quality to carry out self-evaluation of the quality of PE and sport they provide. Copies of these documents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Debt Management

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps have been taken by his Department to disseminate best practice on debt management.

Hilary Benn: We have established procedures and guidance on debtor management and these are linked into specific targets. Quarterly senior management reports include data on debtors to ensure that debtor management has a high profile within DFID.
	Our Finance Training Strategy provides for debtor management training. Training is modular based and is linked into our systems and procedural training. There are also e-modules aimed at ensuring information and guidance is widely available across DFID.

Departmental Estate

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the former (a) buildings and (b) land of (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies, (B) agencies and (C) independent statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible which have been sold since 7 May 1997; what the sale price of each (1) was at the time of sale and (2) is at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by his Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.

Gareth Thomas: DFID did not bring to book its assets until 2001–02 so any disposals before that are not recorded within the accounts. We have not sold any properties or land since that time.
	There are no DFID Agencies, or non-departmental public bodies (NDPB)s who own properties or land. DFID wholly owns the CDC Group plc, which sold the lease on its London headquarters building in 2004. The proceeds of the sale were £24.5 million which was retained by the CDC. No estimate of the current value of this building is available, but in any event this would be misleading as it has undergone significant refurbishment since the sale.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the annual expenditure on training and development by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) Executive agency and (iii) other public body for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not currently hold all training and development cost details centrally, and we do not have a breakdown by UK region.
	As far as we are able to ascertain from our individual Divisional records, expenditure for training and general staff development throughout DFID during the last three financial years was as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Training and other staff development (£ million) 
		
		
			 2002–03 (8)2.28 
			 2003–04 5.22 
			 2004–05 5.7 
			 2005–06(9) 5.6 
		
	
	(8) The method of acquiring, recording and reporting information on costs changed during 2002–03, providing for a higher degree of accounting accuracy for subsequent years.
	(9) Planned.

EU Agricultural Trade Policies

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to encourage the EU to adopt a rigid timetable for the liberalisation of its agricultural trade policies.

Gareth Thomas: The Government are working hard to encourage the EU to liberalise its agricultural trade policies, including through promoting reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as well as continuing to press for an ambitious outcome in the overall round of current World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks beyond that just concluded at the WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong.
	HM Treasury and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) released in December 2005, A Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy", to stimulate further debate in the EU. In the document the Government have laid out how, within the next 10 to 15 years, we will work towards promoting a European agricultural industry which does not distort international trade and the world economy. In addition, in the context of the WTO, we have successfully worked with EU member states, the European Commission and other WTO members in Hong Kong to agree an end date of 2013 for all forms of agricultural export subsidy, with a substantial part to be phased out by 2010. These are the most unfair and distorting of agricultural subsidies.

HIV/AIDS (China)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of China on tackling HIV/AIDS.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member for Buckingham to the response I gave to my hon. Friend for Hartlepool on 8 December 2005, Official Report, column 1488w.
	DFID frequently discusses the HIV and AIDS situation with the Chinese authorities. During my visit to China last month, I had a specific discussion on 2 December with the vice minister of health, Mr. Huang Jiefu.

Pakistan (Earthquake)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department is giving to the Government of Pakistan to enable victims of the earthquake in Pakistan to be moved away from affected areas by road.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 9 January 2006
	DFID has provided financial assistance to the United Nations, Non-Government Organisations (NGO)s, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. This support (both financial as well as in-kind support) has enabled them to provide assistance to the affected population whether this is in their places of origin or in the areas to which they have been displaced. In some cases this has included activities such as medical evacuation undertaken either by road or by helicopter.
	In addition, we have provided targeted support to the International Community's overall logistic (including transport) capacity which has supported the Government of Pakistan's overall efforts to bring assistance to the affected population.

Pakistan (Earthquake)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many helicopters the British Government have made available for relief efforts in the Pakistan earthquake zone; what plans he has to change (a) the number of helicopters available and (b) the frequency of aid flights that they make; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 9 January 2006
	DFID worked to ensure that helicopters were available as quickly as was possible. It was important however to ensure that only those helicopters that were suitable to the task were sent. Once DFID identified two available PUMA helicopters, it tasked the Ministry of Defence to airlift them from Spain to Islamabad for use by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). These arrived on 17 October. In addition, DFID committed £1 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) and £2.5 million to the ICRC, both of which included support to helicopter provision, and £1.7 million to United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) specifically for helicopters. Three Chinook helicopters were also provided through the Ministry of Defence from 25 October until 28 November to transport relief items and carry out medical evacuations.
	The priority now is to ensure that there is enough helicopter capacity to continue delivery of assistance to remote areas throughout the winter period which lasts until March. Therefore DFID, at the request of the WFP, contracted four helicopters for four months (80 flying hours per helicopter per month), from 24 November as part of a £5.5 million package of support to UNHAS.

Palestine

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to ensure that (a) UK and (b) EU assistance to agencies working in Palestinian territories complies with International Court of Justice injunctions in relation to the wall constructed by Israel.

Hilary Benn: The International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004 recognised two legal obligations for states operating in the occupied Palestinian territories: not to recognise the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the barrier; and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by such construction. In addition, states who are parties to the fourth Geneva convention are required to ensure Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law as embodied in that convention. The UK Government continue to urge Israel to route the barrier away from occupied territory. UK and EU assistance complies with the ICJ legal obligations.

Palestine

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government take to ensure that aid to the Palestinian Authority is used for legitimate and accountable purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Government are committed to ensuring that all UK development assistance is properly accounted for, used for the intended purposes and represents value for money.
	Since 2004, all DFID financial support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) budget has been provided through a Reform Trust Fund managed by the World Bank. Funding is conditional on the achievement of benchmarks for reform, progress against which is carefully monitored. These conditions have helped the Palestinian Authority improve its financial control and management.
	Other forms of DFID assistance for Palestinians are channelled through organisations whose accounts are independently audited.

Renewable Energy

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many renewable energy projects his Department has undertaken since 1997; in what year each was undertaken; in what location; and what the (a) nature and (b) cost was of each project.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 19 December 2005
	DFID has funded 22 energy projects since 1997 through our knowledge and research (KaR) programme. These had a total value of just under £3.4 million giving an average project value of £154,000. These projects covered a wide range of technologies including wind, small hydropower, solar photovoltaic and biomass. The following table shows a breakdown by year, location, nature of project and cost.
	The projects typically covered a period of two or three years. Some involved the development and improvement of technologies while others studied the institutional and financial issues surrounding the greater deployment of renewable energy sources in developing countries. Most of the projects were carried out in developing countries, working with local organisations and community groups.
	In addition, DFID funded the installation of three wind turbines to generate electricity on the island of St. Helena, completed in 1999. This was part of a wider (electricity) generation and load management project carried out at a capital cost of approximately £625,000.
	Our overriding interest in energy is to improve access in developing countries to affordable and reliable energy services, especially to the poor and in support of pro-poor growth and social development. We are encouraging the World Bank, through our support to the energy sector management assistance programme (ESMAP), to give greater attention to renewable energy as part of their efforts to improve access to energy. The World Bank is scaling up its financial support for renewable energy and energy efficiency and has recently announced a rise to $748 million for the year to June 2005, compared to $339 million the previous year. This exceeds the commitment they made in 2004 to increase by 20 percent. per annum their renewable energy and energy efficiency investments over the next five years. We very much welcome this increased focus by the World Bank on clean energy investments.
	We continue to work with various UK-based and international organisations and partnerships working towards the greater use of renewable energy as part of the effort to improve access to energy services.
	
		DFID engineering knowledge and research projects in renewable energy since 1997
		
			 Start year Location Nature of Project Cost (thousand GBP) 
		
		
			 1997 Kenya Renewable, general 292 
			 1997 Nepal, Colombia, Peru Hydro 178 
			 1997 Various Photovoltaic 62 
			 1998 Peru, Sri Lanka Wind 123 
			 1998 China Wind 50 
			 1998 China, India, South Africa Wind 104 
			 1998 Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia Renewable, general 106 
			 1998 Nepal, Sri Lanka Hydro 90 
			 1998 China Hydro 59 
			 1999 Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Peru, Kenya, Nepal Renewable, general 114 
			 1999 China , India, South Africa Renewable, general 111 
			 1999 Uganda, Zimbabwe Biomass 137 
			 1999 Various Photovoltaic 70 
			 2000 Various Hydro 99 
			 2000 Bangladesh, Vietnam Biomass 248 
			 2000 Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, Sri Lanka Renewable, general 206 
			 2001 Cuba, Colombia, Peru Renewable, general 374 
			 2001 Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya Renewable, general 199 
			 2002 India Hydro 149 
			 2002 South Africa, India Renewable, general 300 
			 2002 Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Uganda Renewable, general 235 
			 2002 Vietnam, Philippines Renewable, general 77 
			 
			   Total 3,383

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Equal Pay

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the difference in pay was between (a) full-time and (b) part-time male and female workers in each year since 2001.

Meg Munn: The table shows the difference in pay between male and female full-time and part-time workers in the UK in each year since 2001. These figures are from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings from the Office for National Statistics.
	The difference in pay between male and female part-time workers is less reliable than for full-time workers and there is more uncertainty in the trend over years for part-time workers. This is due to:
	differences in life-time working patterns of male and female workers;
	the number of male part-time workers being about 25 per cent. of the number of female part-time workers which results in lower sample sizes for male part-time workers.
	
		
			  Full-time Part-time 
			  Median hourly earnings (£)  Median hourly earnings (£) 
			  Male Female Percentage difference(10) Male Female Percentage difference(10) 
		
		
			 2005 11.31 9.84 -13.0 6.50 6.67 2.6 
			 2004 10.97 9.38 -14.5 6.14 6.31 2.8 
			 2003(11) 10.58 9.04 -14.6 6.00 6.08 1.3 
			 2002(11) 10.26 8.67 -15.5 5.68 5.71 0.5 
			 2001(11) 9.84 8.23 -16.4 5.30 5.50 3.8 
		
	
	(10) Difference between female and male median hourly earnings as a percentage of male median hourly earnings.
	(11) Due to changes in survey methodology, estimates for years 2001 to 2003 are not entirely consistent with estimates for 2004 and 2005. Estimates are available on both the old and new basis for 2004. For 2004 the percentage difference for full-time workers is 14.1 per cent. when calculated on the 2001–03 basis, compared with the figure of 14.5 per cent. shown in the table, a change of 0.4 per cent.

TRANSPORT

Bus Travel

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus passenger journeys there were in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2004–05.

Karen Buck: There were 4,319 million bus journeys undertaken within Great Britain in 2000–01. The equivalent number in 2004–05 was 4,609 million.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2005, Official Report, column 2220W, on rail subsidies, whether the Government plans to make further grants available to London and Continental Railways Limited for the completion of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link construction of section 2.

Derek Twigg: In accordance with the 1996 Development Agreement, Government have continued to contribute towards the construction cost of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link by way of grants (£109 million in 2001, £444 million in 2002, £342 million in 2003 and £1,097 million in 2005), and is due to contribute a further £1,149 million before the completion of construction of section 2 in 2007.
	In addition, from March 2005, Government have made a grant of up to £402 million available to London and Continental Railways Limited (LCR) to construct Temple Mills Depot. This asset will eventually transfer to LCR in exchange for Waterloo International Station and North Pole Depot.

Christmas Celebrations

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Department is taking to celebrate Christmas this year.

Karen Buck: The Department took a number of steps to celebrate Christmas last year, including publicising the Whitehall carol service and the DfT, ODPM and DEFRA carol service.

Concessionary Transport

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has held with Transport for London on discounted or free parking in London for resident pensioners.

Karen Buck: None, although Transport Ministers meet the Mayor and the Commissioner of Transport for London from time to time to discuss matters of mutual interest.
	Responsibility for parking enforcement in London generally rests with the relevant borough. It is a matter for individual local authorities to decide on the nature and scope of parking controls and to balance the needs of residents, emergency services, local business and those who work in and visit the area.

Connex South Eastern Franchise

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2005, Official Report, column 895W, on railways, how much his Department spent on external consultants in connection with the termination of the Connex South Eastern franchise under section 30 of the Railways Act 1993, broken down by consultancy.

Derek Twigg: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 First Class Partnerships 670,000 
			 PriceWaterhouseCoopers 595,000 
			 KPMG 421,000 
			 Linklaters 385,000 
			 Eversheds 261,000 
			 Clifford Chance 156,000 
			 AB Publishing Ltd. 54,000 
			 Hwe8 Ltd(J McLaren) 17,000 
			 Total 2,559,000

Damages

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2005, Official Report, columns 1309–10W, on damages, if he will make a statement on each case to which he refers.

Karen Buck: The Department's policy is that damage claims are subject to special control procedures as laid out in government accounting, which is available at www.government-accounting.gov.uk. Every claim is looked at on a case-by-case basis, and following careful appraisal legal advice is sought where necessary. It would not be appropriate to reveal further specific details of individual cases where these would conflict with commercial or legal confidentiality.

Departmental Correspondence

Gavin Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of how much correspondence from his Department was addressed to people who have (a) died and (b) moved house in each of the last five years.

Karen Buck: The Department does not keep a record of returned correspondence and is therefore unable to provide the information requested. The only exception is for vehicle registration documents transactions carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, where all Post Office returned registration documents were analysed. This showed that, over the five years ending December 2005, a total of 533,864 (0.6 per cent.) of the 86,505,364 registration documents issued were undelivered.
	Of these 84 were returned because the intended recipient had died and 71,812 because the intended recipient had gone away".
	A further 174,042 were returned because the intended recipient was not known at the address given, 277,626 because of application error by the licensing dealer or customer and 10,330 without a specific reason being given.

Departmental Data

Gavin Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methods his Department employs to ensure that its data are up-to-date, with particular reference to information on people who have (a) moved house and (b) died.

Karen Buck: A variety of means are used to ensure that the Department keeps the personal data it holds up to date including:
	Internal cross checking across business units;
	Customer helpdesk/inquiry unit;
	Proactive communications with clients;
	Website facilities; and
	Where it is appropriate and lawful, sharing personal data between government departments and other parts of the public sector.
	Specific details for the Department's Agencies are as follows:
	DVLA
	It is a legal requirement for drivers and vehicle keepers to notify DVLA of a change of name, address or vehicle details. DVLA is dependent on the motoring public to inform the Agency of new information as soon as the change occurs. Until a change is notified, DVLA remains unaware that the record is out of date. Because of legislative constraints, DVLA is unable to use third party information to update its records.
	DVLA has introduced several initiatives aimed at improving the accuracy, traceability and up to dateness of its records. These initiatives include the introduction of the new vehicle taxation rules (continuous registration), rollout of the new vehicle registration certificate to all vehicle keepers, and an intensive accuracy publicity campaign.
	DVLA marks the record of those who have died on the basis of information received from the Office of National Statistics to prevent further correspondence being sent out which may cause distress to the bereaved's family.
	The results of DVLA's 2005 Accuracy Survey indicate that 97.4 per cent. of vehicle keepers are able to be traced from the information on the vehicle record. The equivalent figure for 2003 was 90 per cent.
	DSA
	The Driving Standards Agency keeps registers of approved trainers and instructors, including Approved Car Driving Instructors (ADIs) and LGV Driving Instructors. Instructors are encouraged to inform the Agency of any change of name or address within 10 days. All ADIs are provided with a change of address card when they register. The four yearly renewal of instructors' registration and periodic testing of ADIs' continued fitness and ability to give instruction, require up to date information. Otherwise an instructor could face removal.
	DSA is introducing an Integrated Register of Driver Trainers. To ensure information on the new Register is as current as possible DSA wrote to all instructors last year. The details requested included their email address for possible future communications.
	DSA is establishing an Internet service that will enable instructors to update their own records electronically.
	Details are checked when instructors contact DSA. In addition, DSA sends a quarterly magazine Despatch and ad hoc updates to instructors. Any returns are checked against DSA and DVLA records to see if a more up to date address is available.
	MCA
	Customers are encouraged to provide up-to-date information to validate our records whenever they require the services of the agency. Re-validation of certificates, which occur on a regular basis, for both ships and seafarers require up-to-date information.
	VOSA
	The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not hold data on the public.
	Users of the computerised MOT system are responsible for updating their records on the system. Site Managers annually receive a reminder to confirm or amend information about their site including personnel details. When VOSA receive notification of a person's death their record is amended accordingly. Instructions on these processes are included in the system user guide and internal VOSA Operating Instructions.
	Pre-funded account holders are similarly responsible for updating VOSA on any changes in their contact details.
	Operator licence holders update their records with VOSA's traffic area offices through a self-service system.

Departmental Estate

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the former (a) buildings and (b) land of (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies, (B) agencies and (C) independent statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible which have been sold since 7 May 1997; what the sale price of each (1) was at the time of sale and (2) is at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by his Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.

Karen Buck: The Department was formed in May 2002.
	The requested information has been placed in the Library of the House. Information on the current value of sale prices can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	Sale proceeds were retained by the following DfT agencies: Driving Standards Agency, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the Highways Agency.
	All Northern Lighthouse Board and Trinity House Lighthouse Service sale proceeds are remitted to the General Lighthouse Fund.

Departmental Expenditure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many widescreen televisions have been purchased by his Department for use in London Headquarters in each of the last five years; and what the cost was in each year.

Karen Buck: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2005, Official Report, column 1150W, on train operating companies, what the size is of the specialist team within his Department continuously managing the franchise contracts with train operating companies.

Derek Twigg: The Rail Service Delivery Directorate, which manages the delivery of rail franchises within the Department, consists of 77 posts. 43 are directly involved with the management of franchise delivery.

Docklands Light Railway

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2299W, on the Docklands Light Railway, what assessment he has made of the merit of bringing forward from 2009 the in-service date for increased capacity on the Docklands Light Railway.

Karen Buck: The upgrades to the Docklands Light Railway are the responsibility of Transport for London and the London Mayor. The planned upgrade to three car services on some sections of the Docklands Light Railway will require works at affected stations, to ensure that all platforms can accommodate the longer trains. On this basis, 2009 remains the preferred date for the introduction into service of the longer trains.

Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he used to assess the competence of (a) the Greater Manchester passenger transport executive, (b) Merseytravel and (c) Nottinghamshire passenger transport executive to develop and run a light rail scheme.

Derek Twigg: In deciding whether to approve light rail schemes, the Department takes account of a number of factors, including value for money, the proposed contractual structure, financial and other risks, and deliverability. The competence of the authority in question is not separately assessed but can be relevant to the considerations noted above.

London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of sections 4 to 19 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003.

Karen Buck: The London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 ("the Act") resulted from a private bill jointly promoted by the Association of London Government (ALG), the City of Westminster and Transport for London (TfL). The operation of the Act under sections 4–19 (the whole of Part II) is a matter the ALG, TfL and the London boroughs. For more information contact:
	Association of London Government Transport and Environment Committee
	New Zealand House
	80 Haymarket
	London
	SW1Y 4TE

Parking Fines

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the total value of unpaid parking fines was in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the total revenue raised by parking fines has been in each year since 2001.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on unpaid parking fines and the revenue raised from parking summary offences is not available centrally.
	The information collected by the Home Office identifies the number of fixed penalties ordered to be paid and the number and amounts of court-imposed fines issued for such offences. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs currently estimates the overall payment rate for fines in general to be 80 per cent. It is not possible to establish accurately the total value of unpaid parking fines.
	Under the Road Traffic Act 1991, Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) powers allow local authorities to take over responsibility for enforcing parking contraventions from the police. Data on Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) from individual local authorities operating Decriminalised Parking Enforcement was first published in the Home Office publication 'Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales 2002 Supplementary tables'. The latest publication detailing 2003 information lists data by local authorities partaking in the scheme, [Tables 22(a) -22(b) refers], a copy of which is available in the Library. This publication can also be accessed on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics (RDS) website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm

Railways

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with officials from the Growth Areas Directorate of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister about the reinstatement of passenger rail services to link Kettering to Corby.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 9 January 2006
	Discussions were held with the ODPM in 2005 which resulted in the East Midlands Development Agency providing a grant of £200,000 to carry out a detailed study of the technical feasibility of restoring rail passenger services to Corby. Catalyst Corby has commissioned Network Rail to carry out the study and work is now under way.

Railways

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the performance of Arriva Trains Wales on the Wales and Borders network since 2003.

Derek Twigg: The Arriva Trains Wales performance figures since 2003 are published in 'National Rail Trends', a copy of which is available in the Library.

Railways

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many miles of track have been repaired in each year since 1997; and how many miles of track are awaiting repair;
	(2)  how many miles of track have been (a) commissioned and (b) decommissioned in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many new miles of railway track have been commissioned for installation in each of the next five years.

Derek Twigg: Maintenance and renewal of the national rail network is the responsibility of Network Rail (NR). I have asked NR to respond directly to the hon. Member.

Railways

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the morning peak (a) annual passenger count for use of Leeds Station and (b) passengers in excess of capacity figure for trains entering (i) Leeds and (ii) London was in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: Information on the numbers of passengers arriving at Leeds station in the morning peak is not held by the Department. The Passengers in Excess of Capacity (PIXC) regime applies only to London and so PIXC figures for Leeds are not available. The figures for London are set out in the National Rail Trends Yearbook, a copy of which is available in the House Library.

Railways

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many kilometres of railway track there are in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) each of the English regions and (d) Northern Ireland; and how many kilometres are (i) double or multiple-track and (ii) electrified in each case;
	(2)  how many (a) kilometres of track and (b) railway junctions in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) each of the English regions and (iv) Northern Ireland are controlled by (A) colour light signal systems, (B) radio-electronic token signals and (C) mechanical semaphore signals;
	(3)  how much track in kilometres in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) each of the English regions and (d) Northern Ireland has electronic train protection.

Derek Twigg: Operation of the rail network in Great Britain is the responsibility of Network Rail (NR) and I have asked NR to write direct to the hon. Member. Railways in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office.

Railways

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans South Eastern trains has to increase fares for passengers in 2006.

Derek Twigg: In line with current fares regulation, South Eastern Trains will increase their regulated fares by 1 per cent. above inflation in 2006. The unregulated fares, which are set by the Train Operating Company and are not linked to inflation have increased by an average of 3.1 per cent.

Railways

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the final decision on the frequency of trains during the rush hour on the Hayes line as a result of the consultation conducted by the Strategic Rail Authority.

Derek Twigg: The Integrated Kent Franchise has now been awarded to London and South Eastern Railway Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Govia) and it is for the new operator to develop and agree a detailed timetable with Network Rail. The new franchise commences on 1 April 2006.

Road Improvements

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to introduce hard shoulder running on major routes.

Stephen Ladyman: Controlled use of the hard shoulder during periods of traffic congestion is due to be introduced on the M42 by March 2007, as part of the Highways Agency's Active Traffic Management (ATM) pilot project.
	In order to measure the impact of hard shoulder running, a period of 12 months of operation is required during which comprehensive monitoring will be undertaken. Initial conclusions about the effectiveness of this measure and the possibility of its further use on the network are therefore not expected until 2008. Due to the relatively low number of accidents that occur on motorways, three years of accident data will be needed before overall conclusions can be reached on the impact of hard shoulder running on safety.

Speeding Fines

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much of the total revenue raised by speeding fines has been paid to the Treasury in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the total value of unpaid speeding fines was in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the total revenue from speeding fines is not collected centrally.
	The information collected by the Home Office identifies the number of fixed penalties ordered to be paid and the number and amounts of court-imposed fines issued for such offences. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs currently estimate an overall payment rate for fines in general of 80 per cent. It is not possible to establish accurately the total value of unpaid speeding fines.

Toll Charges (Buses)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what multiple of the car toll is charged for public service buses on each publicly operated toll charging (a) bridge and (b) tunnel.

Stephen Ladyman: The following information relates to publicly-operated bridges and tunnels in England.
	Humber Bridge—for a bus designed to carry fewer than 17 passengers the toll charge is 1.8 times the toll charge for a car. For a bus designed to carry 17 or more passengers, the toll charge is four times the car toll charge.
	Mersey Tunnels—for a bus with two axles the toll charge is the same as for a car. For a bus with three axles the toll charge is treble the car toll charge.
	Tamar Bridge—there is no toll charge for public service buses that take part in the bridge's tag system and are registered with the bridge operator and the local authority.
	Tyne Tunnel—for a bus designed to carry fewer than 16 passengers the toll charge is the same as for a car. For a bus designed to carry 16 or more passengers, the toll charge is 1.2 times the car toll charge.
	Itchen Toll Bridge—there is no toll charge for public buses.

Train Protection Systems

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) miles of track and (b) junctions in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) each of the English regions and (iv) Northern Ireland are not covered by (A) electric and (B) electronic train protection.

Derek Twigg: Operation of the rail network in Great Britain is the responsibility of Network Rail (NR) and I have asked NR to write direct to the hon. Member. Railways in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office.

Transport (Gravesham)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his projections are for traffic growth ontrunk roads in Gravesham for each of the next 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The current traffic growth forecast for the section of A2 trunk road, which runs through Gravesham district and south of Gravesend town, is an average of 1.6 per cent. per annum between 2006 and 2016. This compares to the national forecast growth rate of 1.5 per cent. per annum over the same period.

Urban Bus Challenge Fund

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government have spent on the Urban Bus Challenge since its inception.

Karen Buck: There have been three annual competitions held for Urban Bus Challenge awards, the first in 2001 and the last in 2003. The Department awarded £53 million to 106 schemes in the competitions. Schemes were typically funded over three years. Grant payments made so far are expected to total £44 million at the end of the current financial year. The remainder of the £53 million will be paid to authorities in subsequent financial years.

DEFENCE

Arctic Emblem

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2005, Official Report, column 1678W, on the Arctic Emblem, if he will ensure that, once the design has been agreed, the Arctic Emblem can be worn on both the Atlantic Star and the 1939–45 Star; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2350W.

Armed Forces (South African Personnel)

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his South African counterpart about the extent to which South Africans serving in the UK armed forces have received the required approval to do so under the relevant South African legislation.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 November 2005
	Approval is not currently required from the South African Government for South African personnel to serve in the UK armed forces. There is, however, draft South African legislation on mercenaries and private military and security services which has recently been issued, and is due to be presented to their Parliament in the near future. If enacted, this would require permission to be sought for South African personnel to serve in the UK armed forces.

Catering/Entertainment Contracts

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value is of (a) catering and (b) entertainment contracts let by his Department; and what value of such contracts has been let in each nation and region of the UK, including London.

Don Touhig: Present arrangements for catering and entertainment are being replaced by 'Super Multi-Activity Contracts' (S MACs) to provide, among other services, catering, retail and leisure facilities to military personnel and civilian staff throughout the United Kingdom. Seven contracts were let in financial year 2005–06. The total value of the catering, retail and leisure elements of these contracts is anticipated to be in the region of £145 million over seven years. A breakdown of this figure by Government office region is shown in the following table. This figure does not necessarily represent all expenditure in the fields of catering and entertainment as there are a number of other existing contracts that provide these kinds of services. Cost information on these contracts cannot, however, be broken down to identify these elements separately without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Region Value(£ million) over 7 years 
		
		
			 Scotland 11.6 
			 The North East/North West of England(12) 14.4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber(13) 31.0 
			 South East 55.9 
			 East-Midlands 16.4 
			 London 16.3 
		
	
	(12) One S MAC contract covering two Government office regions.
	(13) Catterick Garrison only

South Africa/Mozambique Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2347W, on visits to South Africa, what the names were of employees of his Department who took part in the visits to South Africa and Mozambique.

Adam Ingram: Dr. John Thompson, named in a UN Security Council Report on the investigation of alleged use of CW in Mozambique in January 1992, was one of the staff. However, in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act, I am unable to release the remaining names as to do so would contravene the data protection principles.

South Africa/Mozambique Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2347W, on visits to South Africa, whether the combined UK and UN team found that chemical weapons had been used in Mozambique; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The findings and conclusions of the United Nations investigation can be found in a UN Security Council Report, S/24065 dated 12 June 1992, available on the United Nations website at http://www.un.org.
	The report stated that
	we cannot conclude that a chemical warfare agent was used in the attack."

Defence Contracts (Wales)

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence contracts have been awarded to facilities or organisations operating in Wales since 1997; what the value of these contracts was; and how many jobs have been created.

Adam Ingram: Information relating to facilities or organisations operating in Wales is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence Contracts (Wales)

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence contracts have been awarded to facilities and organisations in Wales since 1997; what the value of those contracts was; and how many jobs have been created as a result of the contracts.

Adam Ingram: Information relating to facilities or organisations operating in Wales is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence Training Review

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on manufacturing and engineering companies in the West Midlands if Cosford is chosen as (a) a Super site and (b) a preferred location for aeronautical training as part of the Defence Training Review.

Don Touhig: The Defence Training Review (DTR) Programme is currently evaluating the bidding consortia's proposals. The impact on manufacturing and engineering companies and the extent to which they are drawn into training design, delivery and support and the exploitation of third party opportunities and revenue depends on Bidders' training and estates solutions. Until the evaluation phase is complete and a decision has been taken to select a preferred training partner, currently expected in summer 2006, I am not in a position to make any detailed comment on the wider impact of the DTR solution.

Defence Training Review

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on the retention and recruitment of training staff if defence training activities are moved to areas outside reasonable daily travel times as part of the Defence Training Review.

Don Touhig: The ability of the bidding consortia to retain and recruit suitably qualified staff throughout the duration of the contract is being evaluated under clearly defined criteria to determine the overall deliverability of proposed solutions. This assessment will contribute to the selection of the preferred training partner, which will not take place until summer 2006, once the evaluation and Ministry of Defence approval process has concluded.

Departmental Estate

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the former (a) buildings and (b) land of (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies, (B) agencies and (C) independent statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible which have been sold since 7 May 1997; what the sale price of each (1) was at the time of sale and (2) is at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by his Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.

Don Touhig: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual expenditure on (a) fixtures and fittings, (b) general office expenses and (c) office equipment was of his (i) Department and (ii) each (A) non-departmental public body, (B) executive agency and (C) other public body for which his Department is responsible in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, (3) each English region and (4) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06 in each case.

Don Touhig: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on bottled water in 2004–05.

Don Touhig: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value is of (a) pay supplements, (b) bonuses and (c) other incentive packages that are payable in his Department on the basis of geographic location; how many people are in receipt of each payment; and what the total cost to his Department of each payment was in 2004–05.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence has national pay scales for the 70,000 staff below the senior civil service who are covered by the MOD main pay deal. Staff appointed/recruited to London since 1999 receive a four per cent or 7 per cent. pay supplement (dependent on pay level) while they work in London—the higher rate applies to junior administrative staff and equivalents. Staff serving in overseas locations also receive the London pay supplement. Overall, 3,075 staff are in receipt of the London pay supplement at an annual cost of £3,149,909.40.
	As MOD establishments are generally in remote locations, local recruitment and retention allowances (RRA) are payable in a number of areas. There are 137 locational RRA's in operation currently payable to 15,022 staff in total at an annual cost of £28,421,339.32.
	Bonuses and other incentive packages are not payable on a geographic basis.

Departmental Staff

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants in his Department worked from home for at least one day a week in the last year for which figures are available.

Don Touhig: It is Ministry of Defence policy that alternative working patterns, including home working, are open to all staff if the business needs can be met. The agreements are made locally between the individuals and their line managers and funding to provide equipment to work at home is also authorised locally. The Ministry of Defence only records full-time non-industrial home workers and as at 1 April 2005, there were 120 such non-industrial staff recorded. Information on those staff who work at least one day a week could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what initiatives are being taken in his Department to help civil servants with chronic back pain.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence is sympathetic to all staff with back problems. All staff using display screen equipment are required to undertake an on-line workplace assessment which includes ergonomics and posture. In cases of severe ongoing discomfort workplace assessments can be carried out by the Department's occupational health (OH) adviser or another expert specialising in back problems. For staff with chronic back problems specialist seating and other aids (footrests etc.) are provided on an individual basis on the advice of the individual's GP or the Department's OH adviser. The MOD also provides training on manual handling and lifting where appropriate. These policies are supplemented by procedures appropriate to the individual circumstances. These procedures are:
	Confidential advice from a member of the Occupational Welfare Service.
	Time off for medical appointments and treatment (including physiotherapy);
	Reasonable adjustments to hours of work and the nature of their duties;
	Early involvement and support from our occupational health experts;
	Gradual rehabilitation including reduced hours and duties;
	A comprehensive suite of work/life policies, including home working, and flexible working hours.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of relocation opportunities within the next five years in relation to the Bristol-Bath-Shrivenham Defence Cluster.

Don Touhig: As we have already announced, it is our intention that the Defence Logistics Organisation co-locate within the area. No further relocations into the area are currently planned, but we keep the size and location of the estate under continuous review.

Disability

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the initial activity undertaken by his Department in response to those recommendations in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Report, Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People, where lead responsibility was assigned to all Government Departments.

Don Touhig: The initial activity undertaken by the Ministry of Defence in response to the recommendations in this report relates mainly to its duties as an employer. These duties correspond closely to the obligations placed on public authorities by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. The Ministry of Defence is currently developing an overall equality scheme which will fully take into account those obligations. Any other recommendations in the report for employers will be progressed once we have advice from the ministerial group.

Japanese Compensation Scheme

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the bloodlink connection in the Far Eastern Civilian Prisoners of the Japanese Compensation Scheme requiring applicants to be born in the UK or have a parent or grandparent born in the UK was introduced; for what reason; whether it was also imposed on former military personnel held by the Japanese as prisoners of war; and how many applicants who did not have this bloodlink (a) were paid prior to its introduction as a criterion and (b) have been refused since its introduction.

Don Touhig: The Birthlink" criterion was introduced in March 2001 and formally announced on 11 July 2001, Official Report, columns 516–17W. It was intended to clarify the eligibility criteria for civilian internees and specifically to define the nature of the close link with the United Kingdom at the time of internment required of civilian internees. The criterion applies only to the civilian element of the Scheme; for military internees (prisoners of war) the nature of the close link was defined in terms of membership of UK armed forces at time of internment. The data requested regarding the number of applicants who did not meet the birthlink criterion is being gathered as part of the review I announced on 12 December 2005, Official Report, column 1119.

Landing Ships Dock Auxiliary Vessels

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has held with (a) ship repair yards and (b) others on (i) completing and (ii) enhancing the capabilities of the Landing Ships Dock Auxiliary vessels; and what estimate he has made of the cost of (A) completion and (B) enhancement.

Adam Ingram: When the Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) ships are accepted off contract from the shipbuilders they will enter their Part II sea trials programme in preparation for formal entry into operational service. In line with normal practice, the Ministry of Defence has invited companies to declare expressions of interest to undertake work during the Part II trials phase to bring the ships to completion for operational service. The value of this work is yet to be determined as much of the activity results from experience in operation in the Part II trials. A number of companies have expressed an interest in undertaking such work. There are currently no plans to enhance the key capabilities of the ships.

Marconi Weapons System

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the document known as the Prosecution Exhibit bundle pages 51 to 59 in the case of R v. Michael John Smith held in the Central Criminal Court from September to November 1993, relating to the Marconi Space and Defence Systems Ltd. Demonstrator Programme Requirement Specification Bandpass Filter Assembly component dated 8 January 1982 reference 79481/PBH/BB/SO8 became linked to a weapons system; which weapons system it was linked to; on what date it became obsolete and no longer linked to any weapons system; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I am currently unable to provide a response to the questions raised as the subject is the matter of an investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) and it would be inappropriate to provide the information requested while this investigation is ongoing.

Married Quarters

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters will be upgraded in each of the next five financial years; and what the total cost of this planned programme will be in each year.

Don Touhig: The Defence Estates corporate plan 2005–06 contains key targets for upgrading service families accommodation in England, Wales and Scotland. These targets require 600 quarters to be upgraded in 2005–06 and 900 in each of the subsequent three years. Figures for 2009–10 and beyond have not yet been agreed.
	Currently, the planned budget for upgrading service families accommodation stands at some £25 million per year, for the years 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2008–09. This figure is not fixed, however, and can change according to future budgetary decisions taken by the Department.

Military Equipment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1877W, how many complaints about (a) body armour, (b) weapons and (c) machinery have been recorded in the recent campaigns in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: In respect of body armour, I can confirm that this was included in my earlier reply, 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1877W, as a clothing product. Defect reports on clothing products are held for 12 months. During the past 12 months there have been no such reports emanating from either Iraq or Afghanistan.
	"Weapons and machinery" have, for the purposes of this question, been defined as small arms and vehicles. Complaints" has been defined as those issues giving rise to an equipment failure report (EFR) or serious equipment failure (SEF). An EFR is logged if the user believes that 'an item of equipment or component has failed unreasonably early in its life, or that it exhibits a design, handling or safety problem'. A SEF is defined as 'a failure or suspected failure that results in, or has the potential to result in, personal injury, loss of life or serious damage'. All EFRs and SEFs are reported to the Defence Logistic Organisation for investigation and any necessary action. Available records for EFRs and SEFs on small arms and vehicles emanating from Afghanistan and Iraq/Kuwait are in the following tables:
	
		Iraq and Kuwait—21 March 2003 to 15 December 2005
		
			 Equipment type Number of equipment failure reports Number of serious equipment failures 
		
		
			 Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) 141 4 
			 Armoured Fighting Vehicle 430 Series 106 6 
			 Warrior Armoured Personnel Carrier 419 24 
			 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank 399 7 
			 Challenger Repair and Recovery Vehicle 27 1 
			 Leyland (all variants) 52 9 
			 Bedford (all variants) 87 1 
			 Heavy Equipment Transporters 234 2 
			 Fuel &Water Tankers + Recovery Vehicles 40 4 
			 Pinzgauer 22 0 
			 BV206 23 0 
			 Land Rover (all variants) 967 22 
			 Material Handling Equipment and Earth Moving Equipment 64 5 
			 Rifle 5.56 mm SA80 (14)101 3 
			 Light Support Weapon 5.56mm (14)47 0 
			 MINIMI Light machine Gun 5.56 mm 0 1 
			 General purpose Machine Gun 7.62 mm (14)4 1 
			 Under-slung Grenade Launcher (14)5 1 
		
	
	
		Afghanistan—1 April 2002 to 15 December 2005
		
			 Equipment type Number of equipment failure reports Number of serious equipment failures 
		
		
			 Land Rover (all variants) 39 1 
			 Saxon 12 — 
			 JCB (All variants) 7 — 
			 Leyland (all variants) 8 — 
			 Rifle 5.56 mm SA80 A2 (14)4 — 
			 Machine Gun 5.56mm (Minimi) (14)1 — 
			 Night Vision Goggles 5 — 
			 Under-slung Grenade Launcher 1 — 
		
	
	(14) Information on weapons not available before 1 August 2003

RAF Aircraft

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the RAF's C-130Ks to be replaced.

Adam Ingram: The C-130K will be replaced by the A400M, which is planned to enter service in 2011.

Service Quarters

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many single accommodation places there are for each of the services in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) each of the English regions and (d) Northern Ireland for (i) officers and (ii) other ranks, broken down by location; how many are occupied; how many are subject to demolition; how many are to be disposed of on the private market in each year since 7 May 1997; what the total sum accrued in each year was at (A) constant and (B) current prices; what the sale price for each was (1) at the time of sale and (2) at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by his Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.

Don Touhig: Some 150,000 single accommodation places, within barrack blocks or messes, are provided for the armed forces, and are located throughout the defence estate world-wide. Records held centrally do not provide current single accommodation occupancy in the detail required and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Ministry of Defence does not, as a general rule, demolish barrack blocks or messes other than to permit the construction of new accommodation. As such places are almost invariably located within the boundary fence of a military establishment, they remain a part of the parent unit and it is highly unlikely that they would be disposed of separately.
	All receipts from the disposal of surplus defence property come to the defence budget.

Southampton Docks

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what criteria his Department used to decide to change its requirement for using Southampton Docks from recreational to operational use for nuclear powered Royal Navy ships;
	(2)  if he will invite the Solent Coalition Against Nuclear Ships as an observer to the Nuclear Accident Exercise in Southampton on 22 February 2006;
	(3)  what plans he has to send nuclear powered Royal Navy ships to (a) Southampton Docks and (b) Portsmouth Harbour; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There has been no decision to change the requirement for Royal Navy nuclear powered vessels to occasionally berth at Southampton. The Z Berth in Southampton docks will, in common with others around the UK, enable our nuclear submarines to visit. Although Z Berths have, in some documentation, been described as 'recreational' berths, there is no change of use or requirement as Z Berths have always been used for operational reasons, such as crew recuperation, replenishment and representational duties.
	On 22 February 2006, Southampton City Council will test the Council's 'off-site' emergency plans to deal with the extremely unlikely event of a 'nuclear emergency' from a nuclear powered submarine. The Royal Navy will support the Council and facilitate the opportunity to demonstrate that the Council's plans will dovetail with the Navy's own 'operator's emergency plan'. Responsibility for the production and test of the 'off-site' plan rests with the Southampton City Council. It is not appropriate for me to invite observers from the Solent Coalition Against Nuclear Ships to the exercise.
	It is intended that Royal Navy nuclear powered submarines will make occasional visits to both Southampton and Portsmouth.

Surplus Military Equipment Sales

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what restrictions have been placed on the resale of surplus military aircraft disposed of by his Department to private individuals during the past five years;
	(2)  what restrictions are placed on the sale of drop tanks with surplus military aircraft.

Adam Ingram: There are currently no restrictions placed on the resale of surplus military aircraft to private individuals. The Ministry of Defence ensures that the aircraft is prepared for disposal by reducing its security status to unclassified. There are, however, a number of terms and conditions, which limit the use of any aircraft sold. These include, for example, the responsibility of the purchaser to obtain a Certificate of Airworthiness, if the intention is to fly the aircraft and to apply for an export licence if it is transferred outside the UK.
	Drop tanks, fitted to a military aircraft, are considered to be an integral part of the whole aircraft and are subject to the normal terms and conditions that ensure that the MOD takes all reasonable steps to inform purchasers of hazards. Used drop tanks are hazardous because they have contained fuel. As individual items they are disposed of in accordance with current environmental legislation.

Surplus Military Equipment Sales

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether it is his Department's policy to allow the advertising for sale of its surplus military equipment on the internet;
	(2)  what surplus military equipment being sold on behalf of his Department during the last five years has been advertised on the internet.

Adam Ingram: It is the policy of the Ministry of Defence, subject to certain exclusions, to allow the advertising for sale of its surplus equipment on the internet. Records of the equipment advertised on the internet are not held.

Type 23 Frigates

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are carried by each of the Type 23 frigates, broken down by type of helicopter.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is shown as follows.
	
		
			 Ship name Helicopter type Number 
		
		
			 HMS Argyll Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Sutherland Lynx Mk3 1 
			 HMS Montrose Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Saint Albans Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Iron Duke Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Kent Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Portland Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Somerset Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Grafton (non-operational from  31 March 2006) Lynx Mk8 1 
			 HMS Lancaster Merlin Mk1 1 
			 HMS Monmouth Merlin Mk1 1 
			 HMS Westminster Merlin Mk1 1 
			 HMS Northumberland Merlin Mk1 1

Hydrocarbon Oils Duty

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK agricultural sector of the proposed EU harmonisation of duty rates on hydrocarbon oils; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The European Commission has not adopted any new proposals to harmonise the rates of duty for commercial diesel. The Government see no reason for harmonised excise duty rates on hydrocarbon oils and believe that tax policy is the responsibility of individual member states. It is for member states to decide what policies they should pursue through the use of fiscal instruments and, subject to minimum rates in some areas, what rates of duty they should apply.
	The UK has a number of exemptions from the Energy Products Directive which enable duty to be charged at a reduced rate on oils that are put to certain uses, including use in leisure boats for private use. The Government are minded to apply for an extension these derogations and will issue an initial regulatory impact assessment on the effects of ending the derogation. This document will analyse the costs and benefits of the derogation, and be used as the basis for further information gathering and discussions.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Equipment

Michael Weir: To ask the Leader of the House how many(a) personal computers, (b) laptops, (c) servers, (d) printers, (e) scanners, (f) photocopiers and (g) faxmachine his office owned in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05.

Geoff Hoon: In 2003–04 and 2004–05, the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons owned three fax machines. All other IT equipment was leased through a service level agreement with the Cabinet Office.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Leader of the House what the annual expenditure on (a) fixture and fittings, (b) general office expenses and (c) office equipment was of his Office in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06 in each case.

Geoff Hoon: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons comes within the administrative responsibility of the Privy Council Office.
	Annual expenditure on fixtures and fittings is not disaggregated by business unit. Information on expenditure on general office expenses and staff is published in the Privy Council Office Resource Accounts for each of the last three years, and these are available in the House of Commons Library and at www.pco.gov.uk.
	Plans for 2005–06 direct costs include a 5 per cent. reduction compared to last year's budget.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Leader of the House what the expenditure on (a) buildings and (b) insurance of buildings and staff was of his Office in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06 in each case.

Geoff Hoon: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons comes within the administrative responsibility of the Privy Council Office (PCO). Information on expenditure on buildings is published in the Privy Council Office Resource Accounts for each of the last three years, and is available in the House of Commons Library and at www.pco.gov.uk.
	It does not purchase commercial insurance for the risks it faces as, in general, it is cheaper for Government to cover their own risks. The only exception was the purchase of annual travel insurance, at a cost of £75 in 2005–06.
	The PCO's planned expenditure on buildings occupied by the Office for 2005–06 is £342,000, which includes £90,000 for external decoration—a lease obligation. The rental element of this figure is subject to the outcome of ongoing lease negotiations.

Departmental Expenditure

John Spellar: To ask the Leader of the House how much his office spent on bottled water in 2004–05.

Geoff Hoon: In 2004–05, the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons spent £10.53 on bottled water. In addition, £306.45 was spent on the provision of water for water dispensers.

Departmental Expenditure

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Leader of the House what the total administrative costs were for his office in the last year; and whether these are regarded as identifiable or non-identifiable for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses.

Geoff Hoon: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons comes within the administrative responsibility of the Privy Council Office.
	Information on administration costs for last year is published in the Privy Council Office's Resource Accounts, which are available in the House of Commons Library and at www.pco.gov.uk.
	These costs are regarded as non-identifiable for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Identity Cards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment the Government have made of whether a new electoral register database (a) will be of assistance in and (b) may be used to assist the introduction of identity cards.

Harriet Harman: The Government are currently consulting on proposals for national access to electoral register information, in particular the development of a consolidated record of all that information in a centrally-held dataset. This consultation paper on the proposed co-ordinated online record of electors (CORE) identifies a number of ways in which such a consolidated record could be of assistance, in particular in respect of decreasing the administrative burden on existing users of electoral register data and strengthening measures to counter any attempted fraud in relation to electoral registration.
	The consultation paper also seeks views on longer-term possibilities opened up by establishing a co-ordinated record of electors. Such possibilities include the potential for comparison of electoral register data with that in any identity card register, so that the integrity of the former can benefit from the high levels of verification proposed for ID cards.

Legal Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much legal aid was given to non-British citizens in each quarter in the last three years.

Bridget Prentice: The nationality of those seeking legal aid does not form part of the eligibility criteria for receipt of legal aid, and is therefore not recorded by the Legal Services Commission (LSC).

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many staff were employed by non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which she has responsibility in 2004–05 in (a) total and (b) each (i) nation and (ii) region of the UK and (c) London.

Harriet Harman: Total executive NDPB staff numbers by department as at 31 March 2005 are recorded in Table 2 of Public Bodies 2005, a copy of which is in the House Libraries, and which is available online at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/the future of the civil service/agencies and public bodies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2005.pdf
	The number of staff in individual executive agencies as at 1 April 2004, including a regional analysis, is available in civil service statistics 2004 which was published in February 2005, a copy of which is in House Libraries.
	It is also available online at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management of the civil service/statistics/contents for civil service statistics 2004 report/number of civil servants/ind ex.asp
	Regional NDPB breakdowns are not detailed and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list ongoing projects in her Department for which consultants have been hired.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) letters from hon. Members, (b) letters from members of the public and (c) Parliamentary Questions from (i) hon. Members and (ii) Lords were dealt with by her Department in each year since 1995; in respect of what percentage her Department took (A) more than one month and (B) more than three months to provide a substantive answer; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are unable to provide the requested figures without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The Report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137–40WS. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	The Department's target for correspondence from members of the public is to reply to 95 within 15 working days of receipt. Ministers take responses to Parliamentary Questions very seriously, and endeavour to answer within Parliamentary deadlines where possible.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the annual expenditure has been on training and development for (a) her Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency and (iii) other public body for which she is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06.

Maria Eagle: Within my Department, the prime responsibility for developing staff lies with line managers who are best placed to assess individual needs. Most learning and development takes place on the job, supplemented by off the job learning as need requires. Records are not held centrally on this.
	In addition, staff have access to development provided through the Department's internal learning and development unit.
	The annual learning programme budgets for activities provided through the Department's internal learning and development unit since 2002 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2002–03 1,500,000 
			 2003–04 2,400,000 
			 2004–05 3,600,000 
		
	
	My Department's expected investment in learning and development for 2005–06 is £4,000,000.
	Other activities take place across the Department which incorporate elements of learning and development within them. It is not possible to separate these out or quantify costs.
	Records are not held centrally on the annual expenditure on learning and development for non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, other public bodies in Scotland, Wales, the English regions and Northern Ireland.

Departmental Staff

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 478W, on Departmental Staff, what remuneration is received by the tutor in basic skills from the Learning and Skills Council.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council is not responsible for the remuneration of the basic skills tutor. Westminster Adult Education Service is responsible for the remuneration of its staff.
	Records are not held centrally on the remuneration arrangements of Westminster Adult Education Service.

Ealing

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to reduce the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges in Ealing.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Development Agency's (LSDA) report into the funding gap between schools sixth forms and further education (FE) colleges for like-for-like 16–19 provision was commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as part of the agenda for change development programme. The report was the first attempt at a comprehensive assessment of all the factors that contribute to the total funding gap and estimated it to be in the region of 13 per cent.
	We recognise that closing the funding gap will not be easy but we have taken some important steps towards doing this. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 16 November the progress that we have made and our future plans for addressing the gap.
	The LSDA report was based on 2003/04 figures and since then we have increased FE funding rates relative to school sixth forms. In both 2004/05 and 2005/06 LSC funding rates for FE were increased by 5 per cent. compared to 4 per cent. for schools sixth forms. We have committed to matching the schools' Minimum Funding Guarantee for 16–19 FE. We are also addressing a number of technical anomalies between the two funding system through removal of the in-year adjustment and by beginning a phased removal of the Real Terms Guarantee for school sixth forms. We estimate that these measures will together reduce the funding gap to 8 per cent. by 2006/07.
	We will follow this with further work and our next steps will be to bring greater consistency to the treatment of student retention and achievement between the school and college sectors from 2008. That should narrow the gap by a further 3 per cent.
	Beyond that, we will work to establish a common funding approach across the two sectors through the LSC's agenda for change programme.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people in Tamworth have been granted an education maintenance allowance.

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, has written to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 20 December 2005
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked how many young people in Tamworth have been granted an education maintenance allowance?"
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority level, but not at constituency level. The information relates to academic years.
	By the end of October 2005, 5,158 young people in the Staffordshire Local Education Authority area had received one or more EMA payments in the academic year 2005/06 so far.
	During the academic year 2004/05, 3,632 young people in the Staffordshire Local Education Authority received one or more EMA payments.
	I hope this information is helpful and addresses your question. If you would like further details please contact Chris Bradley at the LSC National Office on 0114 207 4512 or christopher.bradley@lsc.gov.uk

Education Maintenance Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people in (a) Brent and (b) London have been granted an education maintenance allowance.

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 22 December 2005
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked how many young people in a) Brent and b) London have been granted an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)?
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received EMA is available at Local Authority level, but not at constituency level. The information relates to academic years.
	By the end of November 2005, 2,570 young people in Brent Local Education Authority area and 55,450 in the London region had received one or more EMA payments in the academic year 2005/06 so far.
	During the academic year 2004/05, 2,744 young people in the Brent Local Education Authority and 50,896 in the London region received one or more EMA payments. During the academic year 2003/04 EMA was piloted in Brent and 1,902 young people received EMA payments.
	I hope this information is helpful and addresses your question. If you would like further details please contact Chris Bradley at the LSC National Office on 0114 207 4512 or christopher.bradley@lsc.gov.uk

Education Maintenance Allowance

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people in Plymouth have received an education maintenance allowance payment since it was introduced.

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's chief executive, has written to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 21 December 2005
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked how many young people in Plymouth have received an Educational Maintenance Allowance payment since it was introduced?"
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority level, but not at constituency level. The information relates to academic years.
	By the end of October 2005, 1,963 young people in the Plymouth Local Education Authority area had received one or more EMA payments in the academic year 2005/06 so far.
	During the academic year 2004/05, 1,425 young people in the Plymouth Local Education Authority received one or more EMA payments.
	I hope this information is helpful and addresses your question. If you would like further details please contact Chris Bradley at the LSC National Office on 0114 207 4512 or christopher.bradley@lsc.gov.uk

Education Maintenance Allowance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students at each educational institution in Newcastle upon Tyne are in receipt of an education maintenance allowance.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 19 December 2005
	This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate Education Maintenance Allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's chief executive has written to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 22 December 2005
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked how many students are in receipt of an education maintenance allowance at each educational institution in Newcastle upon Tyne."
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance is available at Local Education Authority level, but not at constituency level.
	Attached is a breakdown by school / college in the Newcastle upon Tyne Local Education Authority of students who are in receipt of EMA at 15 December 2005.
	I hope this information is helpful and addresses your question. If you would like further details please contact Chris Bradley at the LSC National Office on 0114 207 4512 or christopher.bradley@lsc.gov.uk
	
		Table showing numbers of EMA recipients in Newcastle upon Tyne local education authority according to the school/college they attend.
		
			 School/College Numbers in receipt of EMA 
		
		
			 All Saints College 45 
			 Benfield School 54 
			 Central Newcastle High School 17 
			 Dame Allan's Boys' School 23 
			 Gosforth High School 200 
			 Heaton Manor School 117 
			 Kenton School 188 
			 La Sagesse School 10 
			 Newcastle Bridges School 2 
			 Newcastle College 1,846 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Church High School 14 
			 Northern Counties School 8 
			 Royal Grammar School 29 
			 Sacred Heart High School 123 
			 Sage Academy of Performing Arts 5 
			 Sir Charles Parsons School 14 
			 St Cuthbert's High School 67 
			 St Mary's Catholic Comprehensive School 47 
			 Thomas Bewick School 4 
			 Trinity School 1 
			 Walbottle Campus Technology College 87 
			 Walker Technology College 105 
			 West Gate Community College 50 
			 Westfield School 9 
		
	
	Note:
	The data is at 15 December 2005 and relates to academic year 2005/06.

Further Education

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her plans for reform following the report by Sir Andrew Foster on the further education sector.

Bill Rammell: Sir Andrew has produced an excellent report which recognises the current strengths of the FE sector and sets out a compelling set of arguments for reform. There are challenges for all parts of the FE system with a clear and convincing set of priorities which we must address. The report is full of significant material which we need to take time to consider, and we want to do this in discussion with colleges and other stakeholders. In the light of that debate, the Government intend to set out in the spring the next stage of reform and how this will be implemented. The purpose of the Government's response will be to set out a coherent programme of reform which draws together Sir Andrew's report, Agenda for Change and other existing reform strategies to show how this sector can achieve its potential for economic and social impact.

Further Education

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2414W, on further education (funding), what her Department's policy is on whether further education colleges should recruit extra 16 to 19-year-olds above their plans agreed with the relevant local learning and skills council.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 9 January 2006
	My Department's policy on provision for young people is outlined in the Learning and Skills Act, 2000 which details our commitment, and the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) duty, to secure the provision of education and training for all those aged 16–19 years. Colleges may enrol students above the numbers they have agreed with the LSC and can do so if they wish, and have the capacity. I would expect colleges to respond positively to learner demand where they are able to do so. I would also expect that any unplanned growth in student numbers will be reflected in the plans colleges agree with local LSCs for the following year. Where individual colleges cannot respond to increased demand local LSCs will ensure there is appropriate alternative provision.

Further Education

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2414W, on further education (funding), whether school sixth forms which recruit more 16 to 19-year-olds than their agreed plans will receive additional funding to the levels they have agreed with the relevant local learning and skills council.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 9 January 2006
	My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Schools announced on 7 December the schools funding settlement for 2006–07 and 2007–08. We intend that school 6th form funding for 2006/07 and 2007/08 should align with these new arrangements. The allocations for school 6th forms for 2006/07 made by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) last month, and based on the September 2005 pupil count, therefore are fixed. For 2006/07 there will be no adjustment made, upwards or downwards, for extra or fewer pupils enrolled in school 6th forms in September 2006. The LSC have special arrangements for new and closing schools and will on an exceptional basis look at school 6th forms where provision is planned to increase significantly. In line with our announcement on multi-year budgets for schools, the LSC has also provided indicative allocations for 2007/08 which will be adjusted on the basis of school enrolment data for September 2006. These arrangements notified to the sector through Priorities for Success—School 6th Form Funding, published on 21 October 2005, will ensure better consistency of approach in funding 16 to 19-year-olds in schools and further education colleges and provide more stability of funding.

GEMS Education

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public monies are received by GEMS Education; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Education and Skills has no record of making any payments to GEMS Education.

International Students

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many international students are studying science and technology subjects; and what the equivalent figure was in 1998.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the table. Figures for 2004/05 will be available in mid-January.
	
		Non-UK domiciled enrolments to science and technology subjects(15) at English HE institutions
		
			 Academic year Enrolments 
		
		
			 1998/99 65,665 
			 2001/02 72,645 
			   
			 2002/03(16) 82,670 
			 2003/04 87,605 
		
	
	(15) 'Science and technology' includes 'Medicine and dentistry', 'Subjects allied to medicine', 'Biological sciences', 'Agriculture & veterinary sciences', 'Physical sciences', 'Mathematical sciences', 'Computer sciences', 'Engineering & technology' and 'Architecture building & planning'.
	(16) In 2002/03 JACS replaced HESACODE as the coding frame for subject of study. This along with a change in methodology to apportion students between subjects means that figures for 2002/03 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years.
	Note:
	Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

Maths GCSE Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority will publish the requirements for the new two tier maths GCSE curriculum and examination; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, wrote to head teachers on 4 January advising them that a standard two-tier GCSE model for mathematics would be introduced for first teaching from September 2006 and the current three-tier model would be withdrawn. He made it clear that the only change would be to the format of assessment and there would be no change to the related key stage 4 programme of study. Awarding bodies are expected to make revised specifications available shortly.

Ofsted Inspections

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of lessons inspected by Ofsted were recorded as setted in (a) geography, (b) music, (c) history, (d) religious education, (e) English, (f) modern foreign languages and (g) mathematics in (i) years (A) 7, (B) 8, (C) 9, (D) 10, (E) 11 and (ii) overall (1) in England and (2) in West Sussex local education authority in each year since 1995.

Jacqui Smith: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Maurice Smith has written to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

Postgraduate Courses

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) international students and (b) UK domestic students took up postgraduate courses in each year since 1998; and how many in each category were research students.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 9 January 2006
	The latest available information is given in the table. Figures for 2004/05 will be available in mid-January.
	
		Entrants to postgraduate courses at English HE Institutions
		
			  UK domiciles Non-UK domiciles 
			 Academic year Entrants Of which research Entrants Of which research 
		
		
			 1998/99 129,175 13,555 38,865 7,875 
			 1999/2000 127,105 13,345 41,810 7,865 
			 2000/01 128,705 13,330 46,130 8,385 
			 2001/02 131,610 13,035 50,505 8,480 
			 2002/03 138,060 12,925 61,895 8,890 
			 2003/04 141,995 12,930 69,105 9,580 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the data required to measure 2004 public service agreement target number 1 are (a) available and (b) published.

Beverley Hughes: The PSA 1 target comprises 2 elements. The first element of the target relates to the proportion of children across England achieving a good level of development by 2008 and is derived from a pupil level sample. The second element of the target relates to reduction in the inequalities in achievement between children in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged areas and the rest of England by 2008 and is measured by combining the 10 per cent. pupil level sample with an Index of Deprivation. The target will be considered to be met if both parts are met individually. Both of these elements focus the numbers of children achieving a good level of development. A full technical definition of how good development is defined, and other aspects of the target, is available on the Department's Sure Start website http://www.surestart.gov.uk/publications/?Document=1393
	The current figures for the proportions of children achieving a good level of development as defined by both elements of the PSA1 target have yet to be published.
	The final figures for the Foundation Stage Profile for 2005 will form the baseline for the target and will be published in a Statistical First Release (SFR) in February. The SFR will include a table showing these baseline percentages.
	The provisional figures on the Foundation Stage Profile were published in Statistical First Release 44/2005 Foundation Stage Profile 2005: National Results (Provisional)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/. These results were derived from the summary data supplied by local authorities.

Schoolchildren (Mental Health)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of mental health problems in children below the age of 11 in mainstream education, with particular reference to (a) vulnerable children and (b) those with minor learning difficulties.

Maria Eagle: Two national surveys of children's mental health have been conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the first ("Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in Great Britain) in 1999, and the second in 2004. The data is not presented according to the educational establishment which children attend but the 2004 survey report shows that, among five to 10 year-olds as a whole, 10 percent. of boys and 5 percent. of girls had a clinically diagnosable mental health disorder. The survey found that the prevalence of mental disorders is greater among vulnerable groups, such as children and young people from more deprived socio-economic backgrounds. Children with a mental disorder were also found to have higher rates of special educational need and to be further behind in their scholastic development than those without disorders. In the five year period between the surveys, prevalence rates overall were unchanged.
	The surveys have not explored the links to minor learning difficulties, though the 1999 survey did touch on the prevalence of mental disorder in relation to associated and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The figures showed that the percentage prevalence rate for mental disorders among those with a specific learning difficulty was 22 percent., compared to 8 percent. among those with no specific learning disorder.
	The full reports from both main surveys and related follow-up reports can be accessed via the virtual bookshelf/health and care theme on the ONS website:
	www.statistics.gov.uk.

Schools Graded Satisfactory

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking in respect of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools graded as satisfactory by Ofsted.

Jacqui Smith: Schools judged to be satisfactory following Ofsted inspection should be striving to improve their performance. We believe that all schools should aspire to be good or outstanding. The inspection report will identify areas for improvement in a satisfactory school and these should be reflected in a revised school development plan.
	Under the proposals in the Schools White Paper 'Higher Standards, Better Schools For All', local authorities will be expected to help all schools improve their standards, through the support and challenge of School Improvement Partners, and drawing on the resources of the National Strategies. Local authorities will be expected to intervene decisively in schools that are falling below expectations, including coasting schools whose performance is not as good as parents have a right to expect, by issuing warning notices and taking radical action where necessary. In addition, Ofsted will be consulting on moving to a more proportionate inspection system, under which high-performing schools might receive minimal inspection, while under-performing schools could be monitored more frequently, with a focus on those issues of concern in the school. This would reinforce the drive for improvement in such schools.

Setting

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what measures her Department is taking to ensure that schools set pupils by ability;
	(2)  what advice her Department offers teachers on the best methods of setting pupils by ability.

Jacqui Smith: It is for schools to use their own professional judgment to decide when and how to group pupils and set by ability. We have encouraged schools to use setting since 1997, and putting children in ability groups within a class is now commonplace in primary schools. In secondary schools the majority of lessons in English, maths, science and modern foreign languages are set by ability.
	The Department has commissioned research to illustrate effective school practice on setting pupils by ability which will report early this year. This will provide the raw materials for any further advice or guidance on setting.
	Through the National Strategies and our Gifted and Talented programme we will continue to offer advice and guidance to schools on classroom practice so that they can make decisions about where and how to use pupil setting as part of their overall commitment to personalising and tailoring learning to meet the needs of all their pupils.

Specialist Schools

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of secondary schools are specialist schools in (a) arts, (b) business and enterprise, (c) engineering, (d) humanities, (e) language, (f) mathematics and computing, (g) music, (h) science, (i) sports and (j) technology.

Jacqui Smith: There are currently 2,375 designated specialist schools covering 10 specialisms across all curriculum subject areas. This represents just over 75 per cent. of all secondary schools. The numbers in each specialism, and the proportion they represent, are as follows:
	
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Arts 383 12.3 
			 Business and Enterprise 201 6.5 
			 Engineering 41 1.3 
			 Humanities 60 1.9 
			 Language 213 6.8 
			 Mathematics and Computing 206 6.6 
			 Music 15 0.5 
			 Science 269 8.6 
			 Sports 333 10.7 
			 Technology 572 18.3 
		
	
	Additionally, there are 70 (2.3 per cent.) schools that have chosen a specialism combining two of the subjects and 12 special schools designated in one of the new SEN specialisms.

Student Loans

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in London applied for a student loan in the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Latest data on the numbers of student applying for support domiciled in London 1 who were eligible for an income-contingent loan for academic years 2000/01 to 2004/05 (provisional) are given in the table.
	1 Includes inner and outer London boroughs.
	
		
			 Academic year Students eligible for a loan (000s) 
		
		
			 2004/05(17) 129.9 
			 2003/04 128.3 
			 2002/03 123.0 
			 2001/02 114.3 
			 2000/01 98.2 
		
	
	(17) Provisional.
	Source:
	Student Loans Company (SLC)
	Data specifically on student loan applications are not available, therefore, numbers of applicants eligible for a loan have been provided. Applications for loans will be marginally higher than numbers of applicants eligible for a loan.

Sure Start

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children are participating in the Sure Start programme in Beverley and Holderness.

Beverley Hughes: There is one Sure Start children's centre in Beverley and Holderness. Withernsea Children's Centre has 687 children under five within its catchment area. East Riding of Yorkshire council is planning to develop further centres in this constituency between April 2006 and March 2008. By March 2010 all children under five in the area will be able to access children's centre services as part of the Government's commitment to extend the programme across the whole of England.

University Entrance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people went to university from secondary schools in (a) Minsthorpe, (b) Hemsworth, (c) Featherstone, (d) Kettlethorpe and (e) Crofton in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Information on the number of pupils from individual small towns and villages is not held by the Department. The five areas mentioned all lie within the Hemsworth constituency. The latest available figures on participation by constituency were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in January 2005 in Young Participation in England", which is available from their website at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_03/ This shows the number of young entrants (aged 18 or 19) participating in higher education for the years 1997 to 2000. The figures for the Hemsworth constituency are shown in the table.
	
		Higher Education entrants and young participation rate (YPR(A)) for Hemsworth constituency
		
			   Participation rate (YPR(A))(19) (%) 
			 Year cohort Entrants(18) Hemsworth England 
		
		
			 1997 250 23 29 
			 1998 260 22 29 
			 1999 250 21 29 
			 2000 240 22 30 
		
	
	(18) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	(19) Figures are rounded to the nearest 1 per cent.
	Source:
	Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)

Vulnerable Minors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what monitoring her Department undertakes of vulnerable (a) children and (b) young adults placed by social services departments outside their own local authority area; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Monitoring of vulnerable children or young adults placed outside of their own authority area is not undertaken centrally. For children looked after, including those placed out-of-authority, arrangements for care planning and the review and monitoring of care planning are a matter for the local authority which is responsible for looking after them. This includes a requirement, where a child is placed in another authority's area, to inform the local authority and the primary care trust (PCT) or, if there is no PCT, the health authority for the area in which the child is placed. Where young people are care leavers, the authority responsible for their care has a duty to stay in touch with them and plan for their support, wherever they are living.
	The Department's annual volume of statistics for children looked after as at 31 March by local authorities in England includes data on children placed outside their own authority boundary. The latest statistical volume is available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000569/index.shtml

Work Placements

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will amend the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2005 to allow students undertaking full year unpaid work placements as part of their degree to receive the higher rate of loan from the Student Loan Company.

Bill Rammell: We have no plans to amend the Regulations. The amount of support for living costs that is available via grants and loans to higher education students is related to the number of weeks of full-time study in the academic year. Students on sandwich course placements are eligible for lower rates of support because they are normally expected to receive a salary from the firm or organisation with whom they have been placed. However, students on certain full-year unpaid placements in the public or voluntary sectors, which are specified in the Regulations, are entitled to receive full-time rates of student support, subject to the standard income assessment process.

TREASURY

Administrative Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the administrative costs were of each non-departmental public body for which he has responsibility in the last year for which figures are available; what the total of such costs was in that year; and whether the costs are regarded for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable.

John Healey: The Treasury has responsibility for two advisory non departmental public bodies, the Statistics Commission and the Public Services Productivity Panel.
	Information on the Statistics Commission's costs, which are non identifiable, is set out in that body's 2004–05 annual accounts, copies of which are in the Library and accessible via
	http://statscom.org.uk/media_pdfs/annuals/Annual_report_2004–05.pdf
	The Public Services Productivity Panel does not have any administration costs. Panel members' expenses are met by the Treasury but cannot be disaggregated.

Average Wage

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average weekly wage was for workers in the (a) private and (b) public sector in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average weekly wage was for workers in the (a) private and (b) public sector in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. (39793)
	Currently average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I attach a table showing the Average Gross Weekly Earnings for full time employees by private and public sector for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2005. Results prior to 1997 are not available.
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	
		Gross weekly(£) pay for full-time employee jobs(20) by place of work— England
		
			  Public Private 
			  Median Mean Median Mean 
		
		
			 1997 353 377 315 380 
			 1998 367 392 330 404 
			 1999 379 407 341 419 
			 2000 391 422 355 438 
			 2001 407 442 374 466 
			 2002 423 462 387 491 
			 2003 436 483 401 504 
			 2004 456 505 420 523 
			 2004(21) 461 509 412 510 
			 2005 479 535 421 525 
		
	
	(20) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	(21) Due to changes in the survey, results from 2004 are discontinuous with previous results. These changes Include Improvements to survey coverage, a change In the definition of gross weekly pay to exclude Irregular bonuses and Improvements to the collect more earnings relating to allowances. 2004 statistics are presented on both basis for comparison purposes.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.
	
		Gross weekly(£) pay for full-time employee jobs(22) by place of work—Scotland
		
			  Public Private 
			  Median Mean Median Mean 
		
		
			 1997 336 356 287 337 
			 1998 344 369 298 355 
			 1999 358 385 314 371 
			 2000 369 397 322 384 
			 2001 392 424 336 405 
			 2002 411 440 349 434 
			 2003 415 456 358 444 
			 2004 439 477 369 452 
			 2004(23) 442 481 362 442 
			 2005 464 517 375 459 
		
	
	(22) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	(23) Due to changes In the survey, results from 2004 are discontinuous with previous results. These changes include improvements to survey coverage, a change in the definition of gross weekly pay to exclude irregular bonuses and improvements to the collect more earnings relating to allowances. 2004 statistics are presented on both basis for comparison purposes.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.
	
		Gross weekly(£) pay for full-time employee jobs(24) by place of work—Wales
		
			  Public Private 
			  Median Mean Median Mean 
		
		
			 1997 326 351 288 330 
			 1998 333 364 299 341 
			 1999 348 382 305 347 
			 2000 359 396 315 361 
			 2001 379 413 320 371 
			 2002 397 434 328 389 
			 2003 405 454 340 403 
			 2004 422 474 367 426 
			 2004(25) 424 477 357 416 
			 2005 449 504 359 423 
		
	
	(24) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	(25) Due to changes in the survey, results from 2004 are discontinuous with previous results. These changes include improvements to survey coverage, a change in the definition of gross weekly pay to exclude irregular bonuses and improvements to the collect more earnings relating to allowances. 2004 statistics are presented on both basis for comparison purposes.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.
	
		Gross weekly(£) pay for full-time employee jobs(26) by place of work—Northern Ireland
		
			  Public Private 
			  Median Mean Median Mean 
		
		
			 1997 359 379 246 294 
			 1998 380 395 259 304 
			 1999 387 406 270 318 
			 2000 408 420 283 334 
			 2001 408 431 298 353 
			 2002 427 455 314 364 
			 2003 440 474 317 377 
			 2004 470 498 330 394 
			 2004(27) 469 500 329 390 
			 2005 489 522 340 402 
		
	
	(26) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	(27) Due to changes in the survey, results from 2004 are discontinuous with previous results. These changes include improvements to survey coverage, a change in the definition of gross weekly pay to exclude irregular bonuses and improvements to the collect more earnings relating to allowances. 2004 statistics are presented on both basis for comparison purposes.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Banking System (China)

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of (a) the stability of the banking system in China and (b) the effect on the UK economy of weaknesses in the system.

Ivan Lewis: HM Treasury continually monitors the stability of financial systems around the world and their effects on the UK economy. The outlook for UK economy was set out in the PBR. A recent IMF report provides an authoritative up-to-date assessment of the banking system in China (see the Staff Report for the 2005 Article IV Consultation) and concludes that progress has been made in reform, but that considerable work remains to be done to improve the efficiency of banking intermediation. UK banks are playing a leading role in modernising China's financial sector.

British Overseas Territories

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the elected governing authorities of (a) Guernsey, (b) Jersey, (c) the Isle of Man, (d) the Falkland Islands, (e) Gibraltar, (f) Saint Helena (g) Anguilla, (h) Montserrat, (i) Bermuda, (j) the British Virgin Islands, (k) the Turks and Caicos Islands and (l) the Cayman Islands about their domestic monetary and fiscal policies since 1997.

John Healey: The Chancellor has made no direct representations to the elected governing authorities of the Crown Dependencies or Overseas Territories about their domestic monetary and fiscal policies since 1997.
	However, the UK Government, led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development, has a continuing dialogue with the Overseas Territories on all aspects of domestic policy, including on occasion domestic monetary and fiscal policies.

British Overseas Territories

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers of the intervention he has over the domestic monetary and fiscal policies of (a) Guernsey, (b) Jersey, (c) the Isle of Man, (d) the Falkland Islands, (e) Gibraltar, (f) Saint Helena (g) Anguilla, (h) Montserrat, (i) Bermuda, (j) the British Virgin Islands, (k) the Turks and Caicos Islands and (l) the Cayman Islands.

John Healey: Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man (the Crown Dependencies) are self-governing dependencies of the Crown. They are not part of the United Kingdom. Each Crown Dependency has its own legislative assembly, administrative, legal and fiscal system and has domestic competence over its monetary and fiscal policies.
	In the case of Gibraltar, domestic monetary and fiscal policy are Defined Domestic Matters under the Gibraltar Constitution. However, as Gibraltar is in the EU as part of the UK member state, they have an obligation to transpose EU legislation into domestic Gibraltar law, including in financial areas. HM Government liaises with the Government of Gibraltar to assist in undertaking this transposition. But monetary policy remains in the hands of the Government of Gibraltar.
	The Falkland Islands and St. Helena have domestic competence over monetary and fiscal policy.
	Anguilla, Montserrat, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands either use the US dollar as their currency or have currencies which are linked in value to the US dollar. Fiscal policy is the responsibility of the governing authorities of these territories.

Child Tax Credit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons birth certificates do not have to be provided as part of a claim for child tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: Parents are required to supply birth certificates when applying for child benefit.
	The tax credit IT system automatically checks whether a child matches with a record in the Child Benefit Office database. Where there is no evidence of child benefit, HM Revenue and Customs will ask the tax credit claimant to supply a birth certificate or medical card to support their claim for child tax credit.

Common Agricultural Policy

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of the common agricultural policy arising from (a) increased food prices and (b) direct costs to the Exchequer under the new financial perspective 2007 to 2013.

Des Browne: holding answer 9 January 2006
	The OECD estimates the annual cost of the common agricultural policy to EU consumers arising from increased food prices at around €50 billion each year, of which part will be borne by UK consumers. In addition, taxpayers in the UK and other member states pay the fiscal costs of the CAP. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to his related question number 39460.
	For a more comprehensive assessment of the costs of the CAP, I refer the hon. Member to the paper A Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy" published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and HM Treasury in December, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Common Agricultural Policy

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the common agricultural policy to (a) the EU and (b) the UK under the new financial perspective 2007 to 2013.

Des Browne: holding answer 9 January 2006
	The European Council meeting of 15–16 December agreed to set the EU budget for pillar 1 of the common agricultural policy (market-related expenditure and direct payments) for 2007–13 at €293.105 billion in 2004 prices. The rural development budget was set at €69.25 billion, excluding transfers from pillar 1 to this budget.
	The UK contributes to the budget as a whole, not to specific policies. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood), question number 40045.
	A wide-ranging assessment of the economic, financial, social and environmental costs of the CAP is contained in the paper A Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy" published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and HM Treasury in December, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Contingent Liabilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total Government expenditure was on contingent liabilities which became payable in each year since 1992.

Des Browne: The Government do not separately record expenditure on items previously recorded as contingent liabilities. The cost of obtaining details of contingent liabilities that became payable in each year since 1992 would therefore exceed the Disproportionate Cost Threshold for answering parliamentary questions and so I am unable to provide the information requested.

Correspondence

Gavin Strang: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many items of departmental correspondence were addressed to people who had (a) died and (b) moved house in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested is not held.

Debt Relief

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of corrective actions proposed by the International Monetary Fund for members whose performance is below requirements for the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the International Monetary Fund's plans to implement the G8 debt deal.

Ivan Lewis: On the 21 December 2005, the IMF Executive Board confirmed 19 countries as qualifying for the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. Qualifying countries will get irrevocable debt relief with immediate effect, once final administrative matters have been completed. The UK fully supports and welcomes the IMF's implementation plans for debt relief for Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guyana, Ghana, Honduras, Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Uganda and Zambia.
	The IMF Board also concluded that at this stage, while Mauritania is eligible for debt relief, it will not qualify immediately due to issues regarding macro-economic performance and public expenditure management since it reached completion point in the HIPC initiative in 2002. The IMF will work closely with the authorities in the coming months to help Mauritania qualify for MDRI debt relief. The UK welcomes efforts by the IMF and Mauritanian authorities to establish a track record, and we hope that Mauritania will qualify for debt relief in the near future.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency and (iii) other public body for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06.

John Healey: Pension contributions and other pension costs for past years are disclosed in the annual accounts of each public body, which are available in the Library of the House or from the websites of the respective bodies. Further analysis could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dormant Bank Accounts

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government will take to encourage people who may have dormant accounts to claim their money before the funds are used by the Government.

Ivan Lewis: As announced in the pre-Budget report 2005, the Government have been in discussion with the industry about continuing to follow best practice in reuniting assets with their owners.

Duty Free Allowance

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what progress has been made by the European Commission regarding his proposal to increase the duty free allowance to £1,000; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent representations he has made to the European Commission about increasing the duty free allowance to £1,000; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor of the Exchequer wrote to the European Commission at Budget 2005 proposing that the limit on goods (excluding wine, spirits, tobacco and perfume) brought into the EU without incurring tax or duty on arrival should be increased to £1,000. The Commission has expressed support in principle for an increase in the allowance, and we hope they will soon come forward with draft legislation addressing our request and reducing unnecessary restrictions on travellers bringing goods into the EU for their own use.

ECOFIN Council of Ministers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who the most senior UK representative was at each meeting of the EU's ECOFIN Council of Ministers since June 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Ministerial attendance and the outcome of each ECOFIN have been reported either by written ministerial statement, written answer or, occasionally, by letter to the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee.

Economic Inactivity (London Boroughs)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the levels of economic inactivity in each London borough.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about economic inactivity. (40681)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of inactivity for local areas from the National Population Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. The table, attached, shows the numbers of inactive people of working age, resident in each London Borough, for the 12 months ending March 2005. The table also shows the number of inactive people as a percentage of the total working age population resident in each Borough.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		Number of persons of working age resident in each London borough who are economically inactive, and working age inactivity rate, March 2004 to April 2005
		
			 London borough Number of inactive persons (thousand) Inactivity rate(28)(percentage) 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 31 31.2 
			 Barnet 54 25.1 
			 Bexley 25 18.3 
			 Brent 50 29.0 
			 Bromley 30 16.5 
			 Camden 43 30.6 
			 City of London (29)— (29)— 
			 Croydon 40 18.3 
			 Ealing 49 23.8 
			 Enfield 52 29.4 
			 Greenwich 38 27.7 
			 Hackney 52 37.4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 30 24.2 
			 Haringey 46 30.8 
			 Harrow 29 21.3 
			 Havering 28 20.8 
			 Hillingdon 32 19.8 
			 Hounslow 34 24.4 
			 Islington 35 28.3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 40 33.3 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 22 21.6 
			 Lambeth 45 25.6 
			 Lewisham 36 21.7 
			 Merton 27 20.7 
			 Newham 61 39.3 
			 Redbridge 37 23.8 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 29 24.3 
			 Southwark 45 27.6 
			 Sutton 20 17.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 51 37.8 
			 Waltham Forest 41 29.5 
			 Wandsworth 40 21.6 
			 Westminster, City of 41 30.1 
		
	
	(28) Rate as a percentage of the resident population of working age (men aged 16 to 64, women aged 16 to 59).
	(29) Estimate not available, sample size less than three could be disclosive.
	Source:
	Annual Population Survey

Employees' Earnings

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of (a) all employees, (b) full-time employees and (c) part-time employees in (i) Scotland, (ii) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (iii) the United Kingdom had hourly gross earnings excluding overtime below (A) £7.61, (B) £5.72 and (C) £4.85 for the categories: (1) male, (2) female and (3) all workers.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006:As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of (a) all employees, (b) full-time employees and (c) part-time employees in (i) Scotland, (ii) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (iii) the United Kingdom had hourly earnings (gross, excluding overtime) below (A) £7.61, (B) £5.72 and (C) £4.85 for the categories: (1) male, (2) female and (3) all workers. (40445).
	Currently average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I am placing a table in the House of Commons Library showing the proportion of all employees, full time employees and part-time employees by local authority by place of work for Scotland and unitary local authority areas for 2005. These statistics are also available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13101.
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.

Employees' Earnings

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the distribution of gross earnings was for those earning (a) under the point below which 10 per cent. of earners fall and (b) the point above which 10 per cent. of earners exceed, for (i) male, (ii) female and (iii) all workers in (A) Scotland and (B) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the distribution of gross earnings was for those earning (a) under the point below which 10 per cent. of earners fall and (b) the point above which 10 per cent. of earners exceed, for the categories: (i) male, (ii) female and (iii) all workers in (A) Scotland and (B) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland. (40446)
	Currently average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I attach a table showing the points above and below which 10% of earners fall for Gross Weekly Earnings for all, male and female workers, by local authority by place of work for Scotland and unitary authorities for 2005. These statistics are also available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13101
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	
		Gross weekly pay for all workers jobs(30) by place of work
		
			 £ 
			 2005 Point below which 10 per cent. of earners fall Point above which 10 per cent. of earners exceed 
		
		
			 Scotland 105 718 
			 Aberdeen City 100 884 
			 Aberdeenshire 85 (31)— 
			 Angus (31)— (31)— 
			 Argyll and Bute 105 (31)— 
			 Scottish Borders, The 102 (31)— 
			 Clackmannanshire 85 (31)— 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 83 (31)— 
			 Dundee City 122 (31)— 
			 East Ayrshire 74 (31)— 
			 East Dunbartonshire 101 (31)— 
			 East Lothian (31)— (31)— 
			 East Renfrewshire 104 (31)— 
			 Edinburgh, City of 126 814 
			 Falkirk 108 (31)— 
			 Fife 86 643 
			 Glasgow City 116 744 
			 Highland 100 (31)— 
			 Inverclyde 97 (31)— 
			 Midlothian 145 (31)— 
			 Moray 107 (31)— 
			 North Ayrshire 111 (31)— 
			 North Lanarkshire 106 715 
			 Orkney Islands (31)— (31)— 
			 Perth and Kinross 95 (31)— 
			 Renfrewshire 100 (31)— 
			 Shetland Islands (31)— (31)— 
			 South Ayrshire 104 (31)— 
			 South Lanarkshire 112 700 
			 Stirling 113 (31)— 
			 West Dunbartonshire 115 (31)— 
			 West Lothian 118 (31)— 
			 Western Isles (31)— (31)— 
		
	
	(30) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay period was not affected by absence.
	(31) Figures suppressed due to unreliability.
	Source:
	Annual survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.
	
		Gross weekly pay for full-time males jobs(32) by place of work
		
			 £ 
			 2005 Point below which 10 per cent. of earners fall Point above which 10 per cent. of earners exceed 
		
		
			 Scotland 244 854 
			 Aberdeen City 290 (33)— 
			 Aberdeenshire 248 (33)— 
			 Angus 250 (33)— 
			 Argyll and Bute (33)— (33)— 
			 Scottish Borders, The 235 (33)— 
			 Clackmannanshire (33)— (33)— 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 228 (33)— 
			 Dundee City 247 (33)— 
			 East Ayrshire 228 (33)— 
			 East Dunbartonshire (33)— (33)— 
			 East Lothian (33)— (33)— 
			 East Renfrewshire (33)— (33)— 
			 Edinburgh, City of 256 949 
			 Falkirk 222 (33)— 
			 Fife 240 (33)— 
			 Glasgow City 239 908 
			 Highland 230 (33)— 
			 Inverclyde (33)— (33)— 
			 Midlothian 214 (33)— 
			 Moray 272 (33)— 
			 North Ayrshire 253 (33)— 
			 North Lanarkshire 244 (33)— 
			 Orkney Islands (33)— (33)— 
			 Perth and Kinross 239 (33)— 
			 Renfrewshire 263 (33)— 
			 Shetland Islands (33)— (33)— 
			 South Ayrshire 217 (33)— 
			 South Lanarkshire 244 (33)— 
			 Stirling 246 (33)— 
			 West Dunbartonshire (33)— (33)— 
			 West Lothian 251 (33)— 
			 Western Isles (33)— (33)— 
		
	
	(32) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay period was not affected by absence.
	(33) Figures suppressed due to unreliability.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.
	
		Gross weekly pay for full-time females jobs(34) by place of work
		
			 £ 
			 2005 Point below which 10 per cent. fall Point above which 10 per cent. of earners of earners exceed 
		
		
			 Scotland 212 674 
			 Aberdeen City 225 (35)— 
			 Aberdeenshire 190 (35)— 
			 Angus (35)— (35)— 
			 Argyll and Bute (35)— (35)— 
			 Scottish Borders, The 197 (35)— 
			 Clackmannanshire (35)— (35)— 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 197 (35)— 
			 Dundee City 228 (35)— 
			 East Ayrshire 208 (35)— 
			 East Dunbartonshire (35)— (35)— 
			 East Lothian (35)— (35)— 
			 East Renfrewshire (35)— (35)— 
			 Edinburgh, City of 226 742 
			 Falkirk 210 (35)— 
			 Fife 203 (35)— 
			 Glasgow City 225 686 
			 Highland 193 (35)— 
			 Inverclyde 220 (35)— 
			 Midlothian (35)— (35)— 
			 Moray (35)— (35)— 
			 North Ayrshire 204 (35)— 
			 North Lanarkshire 204 (35)— 
			 Orkney Islands (35)— (35)— 
			 Perth and Kinross 211 (35)— 
			 Renfrewshire 224 (35)— 
			 Shetland Islands (35)— (35)— 
			 South Ayrshire 197 (35)— 
			 South Lanarkshire 198 (35)— 
			 Stirling (35)— (35)— 
			 West Dunbartonshire (35)— (35)— 
			 West Lothian 212 (35)— 
			 Western Isles (35)— (35)— 
		
	
	(34) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	(35) Figures suppressed due to unreliability.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Ethnic Population

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the UK population is from an ethnic minority.

John Healey: The information requested is the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the UK population is from an ethnic minority. (39791)
	The 2001 Census recorded 4.635 million people in the United Kingdom as belonging to an ethnic minority group. They accounted for 7.9 per cent. of the UK population. The ethnic minority population is defined here as all people from a Non-White group and excludes the White Irish and Other White ethnic group categories.

EU Budget

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the changes to the UK's annual net contributions to the EU arising from the European Council's recent budget decisions in terms of (a) increased contributions arising from enlargement, (b) reduction of the UK rebate and (c) other factors; and what assessment he has made of how increased contributions will be funded.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact on Government borrowing of the revised UK rebate from the EU;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the recently agreed deal on the UK's EU rebate on (a) Budget proposals and (b) Treasury forecasts as set out in the pre-Budget report.

Ivan Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the answer given to my right hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire (Mr. McFall) on 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2796W.

EU Budget

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department had with other ministerial colleagues before the UK made its proposals for the EU budget settlement.

Ivan Lewis: The Treasury worked closely with the Foreign Office, Cabinet Office, the UK permanent representation in Brussels and other Government Departments on the EU Budget dossier, both during the UK presidency of the EU and beforehand. This included ministerial discussions.

EU Budget

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's (a) gross contribution, (b) net contribution and (c) rebate has been in each year since the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community (i) in cash terms and (ii) in inflation-adjusted real terms.

Ivan Lewis: UK gross contributions, abatement and net contributions for the period 1973–74 to 2004–05 in both cash terms and at constant 2004–05 prices are set out in the following tables.
	
		UK gross contributions, abatement and net contributions to the EC Budget
		
			 (£ million) 
			  Gross contribution Abatement Net contribution 
		
		
			 1973–74 200 — 96 
			 1974–75 197 — -35 
			 1975–76 370 — 16 
			 1976–77 544 — 224 
			 1977–78 941 — 559 
			 1978–79 1,323 — 768 
			 1979–80 1,665 — 884 
			 1980–81 1,900 — 233 
			 1981–82 2,330 — 225 
			 1982–83 2,820 — 737 
			 1983–84 3,097 — 961 
			 1984–85 3,614 — 1,133 
			 1985–86 3,745 -823 992 
			 1986–87 5,121 -1,343 1,221 
			 1987–88 4,906 -1,137 1,811 
			 1988–89 5,167 -1,600 1,167 
			 1989–90 5,804 -1,317 2,452 
			 1990–91 6,411 -1,838 2,185 
			 1991–92 6,129 -2,428 943 
			 1992–93 6,970 -1,993 2,168 
			 1993–94 8,407 -2,350 2,192 
			 1994–95 6,892 -1,648 1,641 
			 1995–96 9,211 -1,576 3,852 
			 1996–97 9,278 -2,418 2,293 
			 1997–98 8,603 -1,563 2,567 
			 1998–99 10,507 -2,447 4,111 
			 1999–2000 9,207 -2,206 3,325 
			 2000–01 10.640 -2,223 4,318 
			 2001–02 9,213 -4,427 1,477 
			 2002–03 9,737 -3,233 3,080 
			 2003–04 11,371 -3,874 3,264 
			 2004–05 12,183 -3,722 3,909 
		
	
	Source:
	All figures up to 1995–1996 are taken from Departmental Reports of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments or, prior to 1992, Government Expenditure Plans. Figures for 1996–97 to 2004–05 taken from annual European Community Finances" White Papers.
	
		UK gross contributions, abatement and net contributions , to the EC Budget—2004–05 prices
		
			 £ million 
			  Gross contribution Abatement Net contribution 
		
		
			 1973–74 1,540 — 739 
			 1974–75 1,286 — -229 
			 1975–76 1,939 — 84 
			 1976–77 2,473 — 1,018 
			 1977–78 3,752 — 2,229 
			 1978–79 4,870 — 2,827 
			 1979–80 5,293 — 2,810 
			 1980–81 5,193 — 637 
			 1981–82 5,712 — 552 
			 1982–83 6,456 — 1,687 
			 1983–84 6,774 — 2,102 
			 1984–85 7,525 — 2,359 
			 1985–86 7,361 -1,618 1,950 
			 1986–87 9,755 -2,558 2,326 
			 1987–88 8,987 -2,083 3,317 
			 1988–89 8,929 -2,765 2,017 
			 1989–90 9,304 -2,111 3,931 
			 1990–91 9,369 -2,686 3,193 
			 1991–92 8,551 -3,388 1,316 
			 1992–93 9,428 -2,696 2,932 
			 1993–94 11,180 -3,126 2,915 
			 1994–95 8,921 -2,134 2,124 
			 1995–96 11,548 -1,976 4,829 
			 1996–97 11,356 -2,960 2,807 
			 1997–98 10,192 -1,851 3,042 
			 1998–99 12,072 -2,811 4,723 
			 1999–2000 10,414 -2,495 3,761 
			 2000–01 11,685 -2,441 4,743 
			 2001–02 9,969 -4,790 1,598 
			 2002–03 10,321 -3,427 3,265 
			 2003–04 11,724 -3,995 3,366 
			 2004–05 12,183 -3,722 3,909 
		
	
	Source:
	1973–74 to 2004–05 cash figures converted to constant 2004–05 prices.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee for the implementation of the Regulation establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession and (b) Economic Policy Committee: working party and reduced compositions have taken place during the UK Presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Committee for the Implementation of the Regulation establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession met once during the UK Presidency of the EU. The meeting was chaired by the European Commission. The UK Government was represented by officials from the Department for International Development and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union, Brussels.
	The Economic Policy Committee (EPC) met formally five times during the UK Presidency of the EU. The various working groups and reduced compositions of the EPC met 15 times over the same period. These meetings were chaired by designated members of the EPC. Treasury officials represent the United Kingdom.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: anti-fraud (SCAF), (b) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: training (SCAT), (c) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: information technology (SCIT) and (d) Committee on excise duties have taken place during the UK Presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: During the period of the UK's Presidency of the EU from 1 July to 31 December 2005 the Standing Committee on Administrative Co-operation (SCAC) met on 12 July and 9 December, its IT sub-Committee (SCIT) met on 20 July and 25 November, and the Excise Committee on 25 November. There were no meetings of the Fiscalis Committee. A European Commission DG TAXUD official chaired each of the meetings and in accordance with long standing arrangements, UK representation was provided by a designated official from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Slovenia, (b) Customs Cooperation Committee (EEC-Turkey), (c) Customs Cooperation Committee-EEC-Andorra, (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Romania and (e) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Russia have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: None of the Committees and Sub-committees concerned met during the UK presidency.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) EEC-European Free Trade Association Joint Committee (and working parties), (b) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee— EEC-Canada, (c) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-Korea and (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-United States of America have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provisions were made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There have been three meetings of the EEC-European Free Trade Association Joint Committee (and working parties) during the UK presidency. The Commission chaired all these meetings and the UK representatives were from HMRC. Customs matters are a reserved matter for HMG and are not within the competence of the devolved governments.
	There have been no meetings of the Customs Cooperation Committee EC-Canada during the UK presidency.
	There have been no meetings of the Customs Cooperation Committee EC-Korea during the UK presidency.
	There have been no meetings of the Customs Cooperation Committee EC-US during the UK presidency.

Examination Markers

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether those who mark examination papers are treated as (a) employed and (b) self-employed for (i) income tax and (ii) national insurance purposes;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the tax position of people marking examination papers.

Dawn Primarolo: The treatment of examiners for tax purposes will depend upon the terms of their engagement. But generally examiners including those individuals who mark examination papers are engaged under terms and conditions amounting to contracts of employment.
	For national insurance purposes there are special rules that treat examiners as self-employed where they are responsible for the conduct or administration of examinations lading to any certificate, diploma, degree or professional qualification, and the whole of the work is performed under a contract in less than 12 months.
	External examiners that are engaged by universities for masters' degrees and doctorates are generally treated as self-employed for both tax and NICs.
	Fees relating to examinations other than GCSE, 'A' level and university degrees, for example for professional qualifications, may be chargeable to tax under trading income or as employment income, depending on whether a contract of employment exists.

Exports (Burma)

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which UK companies have exported goods to Burma in each year since 1997 for which records are available.

Dawn Primarolo: For reasons of confidentiality, the Department does not publish information at the level of detail required by this question.

Film Productions

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's tax policy on (a) film productions and (b) British film productions in the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor made a number of key announcements regarding the new film tax incentives at the pre-Budget report. Further details of the new tax incentives will be announced in due course.

Fuel Duty

Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had on the impact of the proposed harmonisation of duty rates on hydrocarbons; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK economy of the proposed harmonisation of duty rates on hydrocarbon oils; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits of (i) the EU proposal to harmonise rates of duty on hydrocarbon oils and (ii) the EU derogation in respect of rebated diesel fuel; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The European Commission has not adopted any new proposals to harmonise the rates of duty for commercial diesel. The Government see no reason for harmonised excise duty rates on hydrocarbon oils and believe that tax policy is the responsibility of individual member states. It is for member states to decide what policies they should pursue through the use of fiscal instruments and, subject to minimum rates in some areas, what rates of duty they should apply.
	The UK has a number of exemptions from the Energy Products Directive which enable duty to be charged at a reduced rate on oils that are put to certain uses, including use in leisure boats for private use. The Government are minded to apply for an extension these derogations and will issue an initial regulatory impact assessment on the effects of ending the derogation. This document will analyse the costs and benefits of the derogation, and be used as the basis for further information gathering and discussions.

GDP Growth Rate

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average GDP growth rate for the United Kingdom has been in each year since 1997–98.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average GDP growth rate for the United Kingdom has been in each year since 1997–98. (40028)
	The information requested is shown in the table below.
	
		Average growth rate of UK gross domestic product chained volume measure, 1997–2004
		
			 Calendar year Growth rate 
		
		
			 1997 3.2 
			 1998 3.2 
			 1999 3.0 
			 2000 4.0 
			 2001 2.2 
			 2002 2.0 
			 2003 2.5 
			 2004 3.2

Gershon Review

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings have been made by each Department as a result of recommendations in the Gershon Review.

Des Browne: Departments have reported progress towards their efficiency targets, as set out in their Efficiency Technical Notes, in their Autumn Performance Reports.

Government Expenditure and Revenue

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether documents comparable to Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland are published for (a) Wales, (b) Northern Ireland and (c) the regions of England.

Des Browne: Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland is published annually by the Scottish Executive. There are no similar publications for Wales, Northern Ireland or the English Regions.

Her Majesty's Courts Service

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Constitutional Affairs about the pay negotiations with former magistrates court staff transferred to Her Majesty's Courts Service.

Des Browne: Responsibility for pay negotiations with former magistrates court staff transferred to Her Majesty Courts Service lies with the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). Like all civil service departments, DCA is required to clear a pay remit for negotiations with the Treasury based on a number of considerations, including recruitment, retention and affordability.

HM Revenue and Customs Staff

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs staff in (a) Wales and (b) each constituency in Wales are expected to be made redundant under the Government's latest spending review in (i) 2005–06 and (ii) 2006–07; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has no plans for compulsory redundancies in Wales in 2005–06 and 2006–07.

HM Revenue and Customs Staff

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs staff in (a) Wales and (b) each constituency in Wales have been made redundant under the Government's latest spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs has made no staff compulsorily redundant in Wales since 1 April 2004.

Income Tax/National Insurance

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in (a) income tax and (b) national insurance contributions was raised from (i) the top one per cent., (ii) the top five per cent., (iii) the top 10 per cent. and (iv) the bottom 50 per cent. of taxpayers in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available; and how many people in each of these areas paid no income tax in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information on income tax can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Amount of income tax(36) (£ million)  
			 Government office region Lower 50 per cent. Top 10 per cent. Top 5 per cent. Top 1 per cent. Estimated total number of non-taxpayers(37)(million) 
		
		
			 North East 450 1,380 1,020 490 1.4 
			 North West 1,190 4,590 3,490 1,710 3.6 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 910 3,280 2,510 1,220 2.7 
			 East Midlands 840 3,220 2,450 1,190 2.2 
			 West Midlands 1,000 3,660 2,780 1,370 2.8 
			 East of England 1,250 6,130 4,720 2,400 2.7 
			 London 1,870 12,220 9,950 5,700 4.1 
			 South East 2,000 10,730 8,230 4,130 4.1 
			 South West 1,010 3,910 2,970 1,420 2.5 
			 Wales 480 1,570 1,160 540 1.6 
			 Scotland 1,010 3,650 2,760 1,330 2.6 
			 Northern Ireland 270 930 710 350 1.0 
		
	
	(36) Based on tax liability before allowing for tax credits.
	(37) Total 2003 mid-year population in each region less the number of taxpayers.
	The income tax information is based upon the 2003–04 survey of personal incomes (SPI) which is the last year for which figures are available.
	Similar information for national insurance contributions is not readily available.

Income Tax/National Insurance

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers would not pay (a) income tax and (b) national insurance contributions if the earnings level at which such payments began to be paid were raised in the forthcoming Budget to £10,000 per annum.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2006–07, an estimated 6.4 million people would be taken out of income tax and 3.9 million would not be required to pay national insurance contributions if all personal allowances (including age related personal allowances) and related thresholds were raised to £10,000.
	The provided figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response to the tax change, which could be significant given the scale of the changes.

Inheritance Tax

Helen Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the impact on inheritance tax revenue would be of (a) not increasing the threshold above the statutory indexation in 2005–06, (b) retaining a threshold of £275,000 over three years to 2007–08, (c) cutting the threshold to (i) £250,000 and (ii) £200,000 and (d) retaining the current threshold and statutory indexation but raising the rate to (A) 50 percent., (B) 60 percent. and (C) 70 percent..

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated impact of the options on inheritance tax revenue accruing in years 2006–07 and 2007–08 is shown in the following table. In each case the comparison is with forecast revenues using the zero-rate thresholds already announced by the Chancellor of £285,000 for 2006–07 and £300,000 for 2007–08, and the rate of 40 percent. on value above the zero-rate threshold.
	
		
			 Option Increase in revenue (£) 
			  2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 (a) not increasing the threshold above the statutory indexation in 2005–06 (giving a threshold in 2006–07 of £283,000, indexed from the actual threshold of £275,000 in 2005–06). 40 million n/a 
			
			 (b) retaining a threshold of £275,000 over three years to 2007–08. 190 million 480 million 
			
			 (c) cutting the threshold to:   
			 (i) £250,000 700 million n/a 
			 (ii) £200,000 2 billion n/a 
			
			 (d) retaining the current threshold and statutory indexation but raising the rate to   
			 (A) 50 percent 1000 million n/a 
			 (B) 60 percent 1900 million n/a 
			 (C) 70 percent 2900 million n/a 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Estimates are based on information held on a sample of taxpaying and non-taxpaying estates relating to deaths in the year 2003–04.
	2. Estimates take no account of behavioural changes which may occur when tax structures and rates are changed.
	3. Estimates for option (c), which involves large reductions in the threshold, are particularly approximate and have been rounded appropriately.

Inland Revenue (Sheriff Officers)

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much expenditure was incurred by the Inland Revenue through using sheriff officers in each of the last eight years; and what proportion of that expenditure arose as a result of incorrect call-outs based on inaccurate information supplied by the Inland Revenue.

Dawn Primarolo: The expenditure incurred by the former Inland Revenue in respect of sheriff officer fees for the last eight years is not held. We can provide information for the six years to end of October 2004 and this is detailed as follows:
	
		
			 Year to end October £ million 
		
		
			 1999 1.11 
			 2000 1.29 
			 2001 1.33 
			 2002 1.90 
			 2003 1.37 
			 2004 1.14 
		
	
	Information for accounting year 2005 is not yet available.
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is not aware of having supplied inaccurate information to any sheriff officer. A sheriff officer would only be instructed to serve a Sheriff Court writ/summons or carry out diligence for established debt that is overdue and after telephone and/or written application for payment.

Interest Rates

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how often he has received representations from the elected governing authorities of (a) Guernsey, (b) Jersey, (c) the Isle of Man, (d) the Falkland Islands, (e) Gibraltar and (f) Saint Helena about interest rates set by the Bank of England since 1997.

John Healey: The Chancellor has not received any representations about interest rates from the governing authorities of the Crown Dependencies and UK Overseas Territories listed. Since May 1997 the Bank of England has had operational independence in the setting of interest rates.

Local Authorities (England)

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many whole-time equivalent jobs there are in each of England's local authorities, broken down by region.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about full-time equivalent jobs in England's local authorities. (39860)
	I am placing a table in the House of Commons Library showing the number of full-time and part-time employee jobs in each unitary and local authority in England in December 2004; the latest period for which information is available. Part-time jobs are defined as those requiring less than 30 hours per week. Statistics for full-time equivalent jobs are not available.
	These estimates are from the Annual Business Inquiry and, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Lord Turner's Letter

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 914W, on Lord Turner's letter, what the result of the inquiry headed by Nicholas Macpherson into the leak of his letter to Lord Turner was; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Treasury does not comment on the progress or outcome of leak inquiries.

Malnutrition

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how many deaths malnutrition was given as the cause in London in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for how many deaths malnutrition was given as the cause in London in each of the last five years (40810)
	The latest year for which figures are available in 2004. Figures showing numbers of deaths for London where malnutrition or deprivation of food was mentioned on the death certificate are given in the table below, for deaths registered in each year from 2002 to 2004.
	
		Number of deaths where malnutrition or deprivation of food(38)was mentioned on the death certificate, London,(39) 2000 to 2004(40)
		
			  Deaths 
		
		
			 2000 26 
			 2001 23 
			 2002 22 
			 2003 27 
			 2004 17 
		
	
	(38) Cause of death was defined using the codes below from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the year 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) from 2001 onwards:
	ICD-9260-Kwashiorkor;
	261-Nutritional marasmus;
	262-Other severe protein-calorie malnutrition;
	263-Other and unspecified protein-calorie malnutrition;
	994.2-Effects of hunger.
	ICD-10 E40-E46-Malnutrition;
	T73.0-Effects of hunger.
	Deaths were selected using the original cause of death.
	(39) Deaths of usual residents of the London Government Office Region.
	(40) Deaths registered in each calendar year.

Minimum Wage

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the workforce in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland has been employed at the minimum wage in each year since its introduction.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about what percentage of the workforce in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland has been employed at the minimum wage in each year since its introduction. (39793)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) calculates estimates of the number of jobs paid less than the minimum wage for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions. Estimates are also produced of the number of jobs paid below successive 10p thresholds for the United Kingdom, including those bands around the minimum wage. These results can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.go.uk/downloads/theme_labour/jobs_below.xls
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/2004_10pban ds.xls
	Estimates of number and percentage of jobs paid at the minimum wage for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not available.
	Yours sincerely

National Insurance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the revenue paid in employees' national insurance contributions each year by those who are aged above the state retirement age, broken down by (a) male and (b) female contributions;
	(2)  what the payments (a) to and (b) from the national insurance fund were in each of the last 30 financial years; and what each payment was as a percentage of national income;
	(3)  what the principal differences are in the definition of taxable income and income on which employees' national insurance contributions are paid; and if he will estimate the revenue change to the (a) exchequer and (b) national insurance fund that would accrue were the national insurance contributions liable base to be aligned with taxable income for income tax purposes.

Dawn Primarolo: National insurance contributions are paid by employees between the ages of 16 and state retirement age (60 for women and 65 for men) only. Therefore the amount of employees' national insurance contributions paid by those above the state retirement age is zero.
	National insurance fund receipts and payments for each financial year can be found in the National Insurance Fund Account (for Great Britain) and the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund Account published by The National Audit Office, copies of which are in the Commons Library.
	To calculate each payment as a percentage of GDP, I refer the hon. Member to the UK Gross Domestic Product figures which can be obtained from the HM Treasury website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./economic_data_and_tools/gdp_ deflators/data_gdp_fig.cfm
	The principal differences between taxable income and the amount on which individuals pay national insurance contributions are:
	taxable income has a broader base and is paid by all companies and individuals regardless of age. For individuals, income tax is payable on both earned income from employment, unearned income and pension income. Unearned income includes property income, interest from bank accounts, share dividends and many state benefits. Unearned and pension income is subject to income tax, but not national insurance contributions.
	national insurance contributions on earnings are paid by employees and self-employed individuals between the ages of 16 and state retirement age only.
	contributions to approved pension schemes benefit from income tax relief but are part of the income subject to national insurance contributions.
	The effect of aligning national insurance liability with taxable income would depend on the exact nature of the charge which would apply to income which is currently taxed but not subject to national insurance, and whether contributions to approved pension schemes which benefit from tax relief ceased to be subject to national insurance contributions.

National Insurance

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate what the path of employee and employer national insurance contributions would be up until 2050 under the proposals of the Pension Commission for the basic state pension and second state pension;
	(2)  when he will answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 5 December, reference 35715, on national insurance contributions.

Dawn Primarolo: Projections of rates of national insurance contributions depend on a number of factors. The Government Actuary's Quinquennial Review of the National Insurance Fund as at April 2000 (Cm6008) sets out possible paths for national insurance contributions for a number of possible policy scenarios, including where the basic state pension is indexed by earnings—one of the Pensions Commission's options for reform.

National Insurance

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Treasury gained in national insurance contributions from men under 65 years in full-time work who had already acquired a full contribution record for the state retirement pension in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The latest information is in the table.
	
		Estimates on national insurance contributions from males under the age of 65 with a full contribution record
		
			  National Insurance Contributions (£ million) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 555 
			 2000–01 564 
			 2001–02 585 
			 2002–03 600 
			 2003–04 718 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP Lifetime Labour Market Database, May 2005
	The estimates only include the primary national insurance contributions paid by an individual after reaching full entitlement, and exclude the amounts paid by the employer for that individual.
	These figures are subject to revision in future years as some employers submit individuals' contributions information late.

Office for National Statistics

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the budget of the Office for National Statistics was in each year since 1992.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the budget of the Office for National Statistics was in each year from 1992 (39619).
	The requested information is shown in the attached table.
	
		Office for National Statistics Spending(41)
		
			 Financial year Expenditure(42) (£ million) 
		
		
			 1992–93 97 
			 1993–94 90 
			 1994–95 93 
			 1995–96 103 
			 1996–97 110 
			 1997–98 95 
			 1998–99 102 
			 1999–2000 110 
			 2000–01 156 
			 2001–02 212 
			 2002–03 146 
			 2003–04 151 
			 2004–05 191 
			 2005–06(43) 197 
		
	
	(41) The Office for National Statistics was created as a Government Department and an executive agency on 1 April 1996 by merging the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS). The figures for 1992–93 to 1995–96 reflect the combined outturn for CSO and OPCS.
	(42) Expenditure figures from 1998–99 are presented on a resource basis. Figures for earlier years are in cash terms. Figures from 1998–99 onwards include additional provision for planning, fieldwork and initial processing of the 2001 Census of Population in England and Wales. Figures from 2003–04 onwards include additional funding for modernisation.
	(43) Planned expenditure.

P11D Notices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value of incorrectly issued P11D notices was in each of the last five years for which information available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In answering this question we have taken the term 'P11D notices' to mean 'P11D (b) penalty notices'.
	We do not hold information in the form needed to answer the specific question raised.

Pension Provision (Benefits System)

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the evidence of his Department's officials to the Public Accounts Committee on 7 December, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the complexity of the benefits system on pension provision; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: In his statement to the House on 30 November the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions set out five tests on which the Government's response to the Pensions Commission's Second Report will be based. One of those tests is whether proposals simplify the system.

Pensioner Deaths

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how many deaths of people of retirement age (a) cold and (b) malnutrition were found to have been causes in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) county and (ii) London borough.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many deaths of people of retirement age (a) cold and (b) malnutrition were found to have been causes in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) county and (ii) London borough. (40609)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2004. Cold is not recorded as a cause of death in itself, however hypothermia (subnormal body temperature) may be mentioned on the death certificate. Figures provided are for the number of deaths where (a) hypothermia and (b) malnutrition or deprivation of food was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, for deaths registered in each of the years 1995 to 2004.
	As retirement age differs for males and females, tables are provided separately for deaths of women aged 60 and over and men aged 65 and over.
	Counties in England and Wales have been subject to administrative changes which affected the structure of many of these areas in the mid-1990s. Figures are therefore provided using current county boundaries which exclude unitary authority areas created from 1995 onwards.
	These tables have been placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

Population Projections

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the 2003-based sub-national population projections for England produced by the Office for National Statistics include population increases as a result of Growth Area expansions from the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Spatial Strategy.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the 2003-based subnational population projections. (40426)
	The 2003-based subnational population projections are based on assumptions about local fertility, mortality and migration levels derived from the five-year reference period 1999 to 2003. They are demographic trend-based projections and take no account of any future growth or development policies of an area.
	The effects of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Spatial strategy will be covered in future sets of projections when they are observed in the mid year estimates and historic migration estimates that are used to set the projection assumptions.

Private Finance Initiative Projects

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much capital expenditure in existing private finance initiative projects will come from public funds.

John Healey: The private sector contractor funds initial capital expenditure for PFI projects. Payment is made by the public sector over the life of a PFI project for services provided and is dependent on the contractor delivering those services to the quality specified. Capital investment represents one of the activities undertaken by the private sector in order to deliver these services and so is reflected in such payments.

Red Diesel

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many litres of red diesel were distributed in (a) Great Britain and (b) Northern Ireland in the last five years for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the tax revenue foregone on red diesel compared with the standard rate of duty for diesel fuel.

John Healey: Hydrocarbon oils clearance figures are published by Customs and Excise in the Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin, a copy of which can be found on the UK Trade Information website www.uktradeinfo.com. However, this data is not disaggregated by geographical region, so the data do not distinguish between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
	Charging the standard rate of duty for diesel fuel rather than the rebated gas oil rate would imply the following revenue yields. However in practice the actual yield would be significantly lower than this because such an increase in the duty rate would considerably reduce the demand for rebated gas oil.
	
		
			  £ billion 
		
		
			 2000–01 3.1 
			 2001–02 2.9 
			 2002–03 2.8 
			 2003–04 2.6 
			 2004–05 2.7

Road Fuels (Northern Ireland)

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of revenue lost due to the (a) cross-border purchasing and (b) smuggling of road fuels in Northern Ireland; and what his latest estimates are for the volume of legitimate fuel imports from the Republic of Ireland to (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Great Britain.

John Healey: The latest estimates of revenue loss in the hydrocarbon oils sector are published in 'Measuring Indirect Tax Loss-2005', which was published alongside the PBR. All estimates for Northern Ireland relate to total non-UK duty paid consumption rather than the illicit market. This is because it is not yet possible to split revenue losses between those resulting from the illicit market and those from legitimate cross-border shopping
	In 2004, road fuel imports from the Republic of Ireland totalled 137,895 tonnes. Of this 135,530 tonnes were imported into Great Britain and 2,365 were imported into Northern Ireland.

Scottish Fiscal Autonomy

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from the Scottish Executive on Scottish fiscal autonomy.

Des Browne: No representations have been received by the Treasury from the Scottish Executive on the issue of fiscal autonomy. The funding arrangements for the devolved Administrations are set out in the Statement of Funding Policy published in July 2004.

Scottish Fiscal Autonomy

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the budget of the Scotland Office is determined.

Des Browne: Details of the funding arrangements for the Scotland Office and Scottish Executive are set out in the Treasury publication Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly". Details are also provided in the Scotland Office annual report.

Scottish Fiscal Autonomy

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the comparability factors for Scottish expenditure for the purposes of the Barnett formula were determined.

Des Browne: Details of the comparability factors underlying the Barnett Formula can be found within the Treasury publication Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly".

Self-invested Personal Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of self-invested personal pensions that made off-plan purchases of residential property prior to 5 December 2005.
	(2)  what representations he has received from representatives of the (a) financial services and (b) property sectors about the availability of transitional relief to self-invested personal pensions (SIPP) where a SIPP had bought a residential property off plan prior to 5 December 2005.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 9 January 2006
	No estimate has been made of the number of SIPPs who have purchased off-plan properties prior to 5 December 2005, nor have there been any representations about the availability of transitional relief for those purchasing off-plan properties.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his latest estimate is of the cost of fraud relating to the tax credits e-portal; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when his Department first became aware of tax credit fraud in relation to the tax credits e-portal; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  on what dates since April 2003 Ministers have been briefed on organised fraud involving the tax credits system; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  when Ministers were first informed of organised tax credit fraud via the e-portal; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the level of fraudulent use of the tax credit portal.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 13 December 2005
	HMRC assesses all tax credits claims for compliance risk whether they are made through the e-portal or on paper. As with any area in which the Government are distributing large amounts of money, there will be some people intent on defrauding the system and HMRC therefore has a number of sophisticated measures to help it detect fraudulent claims.
	Over the last 12 months HMRC has detected an increase in the number of organised attacks on the tax credits system, predominantly via the internet. HMRC continued to monitor the situation closely and updated me in June 2005. A decision was taken to suspend the internet service from 2 December following an assessment by HMRC that the nature of the threat had changed, which in turn changed the balance of judgment between maintaining the service for genuine customers and the need to protect revenues.
	HMRC is currently undertaking a programme of work on finalised 2003–04 awards—the first year of working tax credit and child tax credit—to provide more comprehensive information on the level of claimant error and fraud. This is due to be completed in spring 2006.

Tax Credits

William McCrea: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in each constituency in Northern Ireland have received (a) child and (b) working taxcredits since they were introduced; and how many have received incorrect payments due to computer problems.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member of Swansea, East (Mrs. James) on 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1430W. Regarding the second part of the question, this information is not available.

Tax Credits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the costs have been of specialist advice outside the EDS contract on the capacity, structure and performance of the tax credit computer system since 1 January 2004.

Dawn Primarolo: The tax credits IT system went live in 2002, under the (then) Inland Revenue's outsourcing contract with EDS. The EDS contract ended on the 30 June 2004, when it was replaced by a new contract with Capgemini. Between 1 January and 30 June 2004, HM Revenue and Customs did not receive any specialist advice outside of the EDS contract on the capacity, structure and performance of the tax credit computer system.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what letters of comfort were sought from EDS in (a) January, (b) February, (c) March and (d) April 2003; if he will publish them; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman on 2 December 2005, Official Report, column 804W.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the robustness of the tax credit computer system; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In my statement to the Treasury Sub Committee of 26 October I explained that HMRC is taking forward objectives to create a more flexible IT system that will allow process improvements, such as changes to award notices, to be introduced much more quickly. However, having established the integrity of the IT system and significantly improved its performance, the priority must be to ensure that progress to more flexibility is done in a measured and orderly way.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the introduction of interim assessments for tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax credits awards are initially based on a family's current circumstances and their income for the previous tax year. If a family's circumstances do not change and there are no significant changes in income during the year, the initial award will run until the end of the tax year. Families are encouraged to report in-year changes of circumstances that can lead either to an increase or decrease in their award. At the end of the year, families are asked by the Tax Credits Office to confirm their details and their actual income for the year just ended.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of complaints about tax credits have been responded to within 15 working days in each of the last 12 months.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of complaints from West Lancashire about tax credits have been responded to within 15 working days in each of the last 12 months; and how many cases remain unresolved after (a) 12 months and (b) 24 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of the computer system used for calculating tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: In my Statement to the Treasury Sub Committee of 26 October I explained that HMRC is taking forward objectives to create a more flexible IT system that will allow process improvements, such as changes to award notices, to be introduced much more quickly. However, having established the integrity of the IT system and significantly improved its performance, the priority must be to ensure that progress to more flexibility is done in a measured and orderly way.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the tolerance level over which the recovery of tax credit overpayments is not considered cost-effective; what factors were taken into account in arriving at the current figure; and whether it is being applied to all overpayments.

Dawn Primarolo: No tolerance level is applied to on-going tax credits awards as the IT system automatically adjusts payments to recover overpayments. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does have tolerances which influence whether or not it collects overpayments from ceased tax credits awards. But HMRC believes that disclosing the level of those tolerances might prejudice its ability to enforce the law and recover monies properly payable in respect of tax credit overpayments.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of (a) the likely effectiveness of manual intervention in a tax credit case where an overpayment has been identified and automatic recovery has begun and (b) the likely impact this will have on the tax credit computer system;
	(2)  pursuant to the Paymaster General's evidence to the House of Commons Treasury Sub-committee on 26 October, what the evidential basis was for her statement that manual attempts to stop the automatic clawback of tax credit overpayments would be less effective than an automated procedure.

Dawn Primarolo: In my statement to the Treasury Sub Committee of 26 October I explained that, subject to testing, HMRC would be introducing interim procedures to prevent the automatic recovery of a disputed overpayment until the case had been examined. Final testing was completed successfully in early November and the Chief Secretary informed the House at Treasury Orals on 10 November that the new procedures had been implemented.
	The interim procedures rely on a manual intervention to the existing computer system, which was not designed to enable automatic recovery of an overpayment to be suspended. HMRC is working to develop bespoke computer functionality to suspend recovery, but as I explained to the Treasury Sub Committee, having established the integrity of the IT system and significantly improved its performance, the priority must be to ensure that progress to a more flexible IT system is made in a measured and orderly way.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times he has written off an overpayment of tax credits because (a) of official error where it was reasonable for the recipient to think the award was correct, (b) it would have caused hardship to have recovered all of the overpayment and (c) it would have caused hardship to have recovered part of the overpayment, in each month since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: For details of the number of disputed overpayments written off as a result of official error up to and including June 2005, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 282W. Between July and October 2005 (inclusive), HM Revenue and Customs wrote off around 75,000 disputed overpayments.
	In 2003–04 no overpayments of tax credits were written off because of hardship. Details for 2004–05 and 2005–06 are not yet available.
	HMRC has procedures in place to help claimants who might suffer hardship as a result of an overpayment being recovered. Where there is no award in the current year the customer can pay back the overpayment in 12 monthly instalments if they wish. If they require more than 12 months, income and expenditure details are obtained and consideration is given to payment over an extended period of time. For cases where there is an ongoing award, reduced rates of recovery apply for those claimants on lower incomes.
	Where there is an ongoing award reduced rates of recovery apply for those claimants on lower incomes. The maximum amounts by which HMRC would reduce payments to recover overpaid tax credit from the previous year are:
	(a) 10 per cent. for claimants receiving the maximum award
	(b) 100 per cent. for claimants receiving only the family element of child tax credit, and
	(c) 25 per cent. for all other claimants.
	As a result of changes announced in the pre-Budget review, from November 2006 these limits will also apply to in-year adjustments to payments.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the value of additional tax credits awarded in cases of hardship following the identification of an overpayment is added to the total overpayment to be recovered; and if he will give an illustration.

Dawn Primarolo: The circumstances in which HM Revenue and Customs will make additional tax credits payments, and how this affects a claimant's overpayment of tax credits, are explained in HMRC's Code of Practice 26 'What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?'.

Tax Credits

William McCrea: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent to which Northern Ireland claimants of tax credits are experiencing difficulties in accessing the tax credits helpline; what action is being taken to improve access to the helpline; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no particular difficulties around accessibility to the tax credits helpline for Northern Ireland residents. The helpline is open 362 days a year from 8am to 8pm, closing on only Christmas day, Boxing day and new years day. In November 2005 the Northern Ireland tax credits helpline became part of the virtual network for tax credits calls. This has provided NI residents with access to a greater pool of resources, improving accessibility to the tax credits helpline.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  in how many cases HM Revenue and Customs, and its predecessor, (a) imposed a penalty under section 31 of the Tax Credits Act 2002 for making an incorrect statement or declaration or supplying incorrect information or evidence and (b) imposed a penalty under section 32(3) of the Tax Credits Act 2002 for failing to notify a specified change of circumstances in (i) 2003–04, (ii) 2004–05 and (iii) 2005–06 to date; and what the average penalty was in each case;
	(2)  in how many cases HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors applied to the Appeals Service under section 32(1) and (2) of, and Schedule 2 to, the Tax Credits Act 2002 for a summons against an individual for failing to provide information or evidence or failing to comply with a requirement regarding a final notice in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows:
	(a) The following table shows the total number of penalties imposed under sections 31 and 32(3) of the Tax Credits Act 2002 and the average penalty imposed for 2004–05 and 2005–06 to end November. No penalties were charged in 2003–04.
	A breakdown between penalties imposed under section 31 and section 32(3) is not available
	
		
			  Number of cases Average penalty per case (£) 
		
		
			 2004–05 1,114 400.04 
			 2005–06 to end November 1,348 363.15 
		
	
	(b) To the end of October HMRC had made 10 applications in 2005–06 for a summons against an individual under section 32(1) and (2) of, and Schedule 2 to, the Tax Credits Act 2002. No such applications were made in 2003–04 or 2004–05.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy, when writing-off overpaid tax credits caused by official error, to reimburse all overpayment recovered before the decision to write-off is made; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 12 December 2005
	Where a decision is taken to write-off all or part of an overpayment, any previously re-paid amount will be reimbursed either by a one-off payment, or by adjustments to future tax credit payments, or a combination of both.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the form TC647.

Dawn Primarolo: This has been done.

Tax Credits

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases in Northern Ireland disputed tax credit overpayments have been written off in 2005–06.

Dawn Primarolo: Between April 2005 and November 2005, HM Revenue and Customs agreed that around 13,700 disputed overpayments of tax credits in Northern Ireland should be written off on the grounds of official error.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many tax credit awards are paid into bank accounts not in the name of the tax credit recipient;
	(2)  on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs started paying tax credit awards into a different bank account at the request of the tax credit recipient in each month since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proof of identity is required as part of an application for tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: When tax credits claims are processed HM Revenue and Customs carries out a series of verification checks on claimant identity. Should further verification be required; birth certificates, passports and other forms of identification can be requested.
	I would also refer the hon. Member to the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his pre-Budget report on 5 December 2005. The report announced measures to improve tax credits compliance by doubling the checks HMRC carry out on new claims for tax credits before payments are made.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what checks are made by advisers on the tax credit helpline on a caller's identity when a request is made to change a bank account for the payment of tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: Prior to accepting a change in bank details, advisers ask a number of security questions about a variety of different items of personal information held by HM Revenue and Customs.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many referrals have been made to the Security Specialist Section of the Tax Credit Office in each month since 2003–04.

Dawn Primarolo: The Tax Credit Office does not have a Security Specialist Section.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit awards have been paid into overseas bank accounts in each year since 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) total and (b) average income increases resulting in the overpayment of tax credits were in 2003–04.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 20 December 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2387W.

Tax Credits

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what distribution of income increases was assumed in producing the Government's £800 million estimate of the additional final tax credit entitlement resulting from the £2,500 disregard in 2003–04; and what the statistical basis is for this distribution.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 20 December 2005
	The estimate of £800 million was derived by modelling the annualised level of entitlement at 5 April 2004, both with and without the £2,500 disregard, for a representative sample of tax credit awards current at that date.

Tax Credits

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's estimate is of the additional final tax credit entitlement resulting from the change in the income increase disregard from £2,500 to £25,000; and what basic assumptions were made when making the estimate.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 20 December 2005
	Precise estimates of the change in entitlement resulting from the higher disregard from April 2006 will not be known until 2006–07 awards have been finalised in early 2008.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time tax credit staff were working in (a) debt management and banking, (b) disputed overpayments, (c) bank liaison, (d) childcare provider checks, (e) complex cases, (f) employer liaison, (g) international claims, (h) persons from abroad, (i) post room, (j) specialist trace unit, (k) claims processing, (l) appeals, (m) complaints, (n) valuables and (o) tax credit hotlines in each month since January 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) financial assistance and (b) help in kind his Department has offered to (i) Citizens Advice Bureaux and (ii) other voluntary advice agencies to help their advisers in tax credit cases.

Ivan Lewis: The Treasury does not provide any direct financial or other assistance in kind to Citizens Advice Bureaux or any other voluntary advice agency.
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs does provide financial assistance to a range of voluntary organisations including Citizens Advice Bureaux to assist the public on tax credit issues. Planned expenditure for 2005–06 is expected to be approximately £680,000.

Tax Credits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average length of time was from receipt of a tax credit claim to payment of the credit to the claimant in Wales in each year since the tax credit system began; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested. For details of tax credits processing times I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) and the hon. Member for Guildford (Anne Milton) on 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1058W.

Tax Credits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many tax credit overpayments have been made in Wales; what proportion of tax credits have been overpaid in Wales; what the total tax credit overpayments in Wales were in each year since the tax credit system began; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average overpayment was for tax credits in Wales in each year since the tax credit system began; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number and sizes of 2003–04 tax credits awards overpaid and underpaid at 5 April 2004, by region, are published in Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards 2003–04. Supplement on payments in 2003–04. Geographical Analysis." This publication and provisional estimates for the number of in-work families by region with tax credit awards as at selected dates in 2004–05 are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.

Tax Credits

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of fraud were detected in relation to tax credit claims in Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available by Parliamentary constituency and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many cases of organised fraud within tax credits have been detected in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what evidence he has received that tax credits have been targeted by organised criminals; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many cases of organised fraud within tax credits have been detected in each year of its operation;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of whether tax credits have been targeted by organised criminals; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  how many tax credit awards have been terminated on suspicion of organised fraud in each month since April 2003;
	(6)  how many cases of identity theft have been detected in the tax credit system in each month since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC uses a number of sophisticated tools to help detect claims, which are fraudulent or wrong and wherever possible, this compliance activity is aimed at preventing these claims from being paid. HMRC are aware of persistent attempts by organised criminals to obtain tax credits by using stolen or fictitious identities and it monitors payments to detect organised fraud so that any payments can be stopped and followed up with those responsible. Figures relating specifically to such instances are only available from 2004.
	In 2004–05 HMRC intervened on 17164 incorrect claims before the tax credit payments were made where fraud or error was suspected. Between April to end of November 2005 HMRC have made 38,924 such interventions, of which HMRC estimate over half have been as a result of organised attacks. From October 2004 to end of November 2005 HMRC also identified and stopped 22,284 tax credit claims in payment, where organised fraud was suspected.
	Where fraud is detected HMRC may use its powers to charge a financial penalty or—in the most serious cases—investigate with a view to securing a criminal prosecution under the new criminal offence of tax credit fraud. HMRC prosecuted 153 individuals in 2004–05 and has prosecuted 159 in the current financial year to the end of November. Around 97 other cases are currently awaiting verdict.

Teenage Pregnancies

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many under 16-year-olds fell pregnant in (a) London and (b) each London borough in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many under 16 year olds fell pregnant in (a) London and (b) each London borough in each year since 1997. (40806)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of pregnancies that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or termination.
	The most recent complete year for which estimates are available is 2003. Figures for 1997 to 2003 are given in the attached table.
	
		Number of conceptions to girls aged under 16 years by area of usual residence, London, 1997–2003
		
			 Area of usual residence 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 London 1,141 1,152 1,058 1,246 1,252 1,229 1,247 
			 Camden LB 25 24 21 24 22 25 23 
			 Hackney LB and City of London 64 65 45 69 62 56 62 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham LB 26 16 27 21 22 21 25 
			 Haringey LB 50 50 33 60 59 59 46 
			 Islington LB 29 20 34 27 37 30 33 
			 Kensington and Chelsea LB 16 11 18 19 14 13 8 
			 Lambeth LB 81 81 69 78 80 95 100 
			 Lewisham LB 66 63 55 62 61 70 74 
			 Newham LB 55 54 61 69 71 59 45 
			 Southwark LB 59 57 61 63 68 77 83 
			 Tower Hamlets LB 23 49 19 39 42 34 28 
			 Wandsworth LB 46 46 48 44 48 41 39 
			 Westminster City of LB 14 16 20 20 20 17 17 
			 Barking and Dagenham LB 43 25 34 45 51 43 44 
			 Barnet LB 28 20 28 35 34 27 38 
			 Bexley LB 34 37 30 22 34 36 27 
			 Brent LB 32 36 49 55 52 50 54 
			 Bromley LB 30 29 24 35 33 38 39 
			 Croydon LB 64 77 67 78 72 68 57 
			 Ealing LB 28 43 31 41 31 32 29 
			 Enfield LB 47 33 26 48 43 51 58 
			 Greenwich LB 62 52 59 43 51 45 45 
			 Harrow LB 22 19 9 15 24 21 18 
			 Havering LB 22 22 25 31 23 18 29 
			 Hillingdon LB 37 47 27 32 37 39 48 
			 Hounslow LB 30 25 41 34 38 25 34 
			 Kingston upon Thames LB 14 18 14 10 9 8 9 
			 Merton LB 13 26 13 34 20 22 27 
			 RedbridgeLB 23 20 22 26 26 28 25 
			 Richmond upon Thames LB 13 11 7 9 10 9 8 
			 Sutton LB 9 25 13 17 17 23 25 
			 Waltham Forest LB 36 35 28 41 41 49 50 
		
	
	Note:
	To preserve confidentiality, counts for City of London have been combined with those for Hackney LB.

Treasury Enterprise Team

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the remit of the Enterprise Team in the Treasury is.

John Healey: The Enterprise Team's remit is to help to maximise the contribution of business and enterprise to the economic performance of the UK by:
	driving progress across government to create the right conditions for firms to start, innovate and grow;
	ensuring that government promotes creation of an enterprise society, in which people with the talent and motivation are able to set up, innovate and succeed in business;
	harnessing the potential of enterprise to tackle disadvantage and to create new business opportunities;
	working to reduce the burden on businesses on burdensome or disproportionate regulations;
	shaping industrial policy to create a positive business environment; and
	improving and broadening the Treasury's corporate relationships with the community.

Treasury Enterprise Team

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what methods the Enterprise Team uses to liaise with businesses, with particular reference to small and medium-sized enterprises.

John Healey: The Enterprise Team uses a number of methods to liaise with businesses including small and medium-sized enterprises. These range from one-to-one meetings to large conferences and include seminars, round table discussions, telephone conversations, attendance at business association events and meetings, presentations and consultations.

Treasury Enterprise Team

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the meetings the Enterprise Team has had with business associations in the last six months.

John Healey: Members of the Enterprise Team, in common with other Treasury officials, have meetings with a wide range of individuals and organisations as part of the process of policy development and analysis. It would not be practicable to provide details of all such meetings. Treasury meetings are conducted in accordance with the ministerial code and the civil service code, as appropriate.

Unemployment

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Beverley and Holderness were unemployed for more than two years in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in Beverley and Holderness. (40040)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. However for the Beverley and Holderness constituency sample numbers are insufficient to provide estimates of numbers of people unemployed for more than two years.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 1, attached, shows the annual average (January to December) number of JSA claimants, who have been claiming for more than two years, in the Beverley and Holderness constituency, for each year from 1997 to the present.
	The claimant count data are published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website: www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		Annual average number of people claiming JSA for more than two years in the Beverley and Holderness constituency
		
			 Twelve month period ending November: Average number of claimants 
		
		
			 1997 180 
			 1998 125 
			 1999 145 
			 2000 130 
			 2001 125 
			 2002 100 
			 2003 70 
			 2004 55 
			 2005 55 
		
	
	Note:
	The data are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

Unemployment

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Beverley and Holderness were economically inactive in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about economic inactivity in Beverley and Holderness. (40041)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of economic inactivity from the Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. Table 1, attached below, shows the numbers of inactive people of working age resident in the Beverley and Holderness constituency. The table also shows the number of inactive people of working age as a percentage of the total working age population resident in the constituency. The data shown cover the 12 month periods ending in February each year from 1997 to 2004 and in March 2005.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
	These data are published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis(r) website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		Number of working age economically inactive persons, and working age inactivity rate, resident in the Beverley and Holderness constituency
		
			 Twelve month period ending February: Number of inactive persons (000) Inactivity rate (per cent.) 
		
		
			 1998 13 21.1 
			 1999 12 21.3 
			 2000 11 20.3 
			 2001 13 21.0 
			 2002 12 21.0 
			 2003 11 21.2 
			 2004 11 19.9 
			 March 2005 14 23.5 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey

Vehicle Excise Duty

Owen Paterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been raised in vehicle excise duty in each year since 1997, broken down by category of vehicle.

John Healey: The Department for Transport publish statistics of VED revenues broken down into vehicle category in their annual Transport statistics bulletin. This is available at: www.dft.gov.uk/transstat

NORTHERN IRELAND

Administration Costs

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which functions of his core Department are carried out in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Wales; and what administrative costs were associated with these functions for each area in the last year.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Core Department functions and the associated administrative costs for 2004–05, carried out in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Wales were as follows:
	
		(a)
		
			 Function Total administrative costs 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Central Administration 27,898,559 
			 Ministers 3,080,107 
			 Political Directive 4,848,917 
			 Bloody Sunday (Saville) Inquiry 1,180,000 
			 Dept of the Director of Public Prosecutions 14,542,000 
			 Criminal Justice 10,421,000 
			 Policing and Security 4,634,000 
		
	
	(b) There are no functions of the NIO Core Department carried out in Wales.

Compensation Agency

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of compensation payments paid out by the Compensation Agency as a result of terrorist attacks since the beginning of the Troubles, broken down by category.

Peter Hain: The Compensation Agency cannot provide information about the cost of compensation stemming specifically from terrorist attacks as there is often no way of ascertaining the motives of a victim's assailants unless a prosecution follows. In many cases where the assailant(s) are unknown, or where no prosecution has taken place, the Agency could only speculate about the perpetrator's motives and consequently figures provided on that basis would be very unreliable.

Departmental Expenditure

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on bottled water in 2004–05.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office, excluding its Agencies and NDPBs, spent £29,915 on bottled water in 2004–05.

Ministerial Visits

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many overnight stays in Northern Ireland each Minister has made since taking up their post.

Peter Hain: The number of overnight stays each Northern Ireland Minister has made between taking office in May 2005 and December 31 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			 Minister Overnight Day 
		
		
			 Shaun Woodward 26 67 
			 David Hanson 47 87 
			 Angela Smith 62 88 
			 Jeff Rooker 43 84 
		
	
	In addition to the time spent in Northern Ireland, Ministers undertake NIO business in Parliament and in the Northern Ireland Office at 11 Millbank.

Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has received written representations from members of the armed forces in support of the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill.

Peter Hain: No.

Shoplifting (Prosecutions)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2005, Official Report, column 1866–67W, on prosecutions, how many people were prosecuted for shoplifting in each constituency.

David Hanson: Prosecution data is not readily available broken down by Northern Ireland constituency. The statistics provided in the table are for the years 2000 to 2003 and are based on the PSNI district command unit in which an offender's address falls. Due to the incomparability of 1999 data, (available only by the police division to which an offence was reported) 1999 figures are not included.
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence for which an offender is charged is included. Statistics beyond 2003 will become available in early 2006.
	
		Prosecutions for shoplifting by police district command unit 2000–03
		
			 District command unit 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Antrim 33 29 29 15 
			 Ards 18 18 26 18 
			 Armagh 2 8 11 15 
			 Banbridge 5 2 5 12 
			 East Belfast 91 61 44 54 
			 North Belfast 172 109 79 106 
			 South Belfast 56 38 39 45 
			 West Belfast 100 63 67 72 
			 Ballymena 26 33 20 17 
			 Ballymoney 5 5 6 5 
			 Carrickfergus 21 25 19 15 
			 Coleraine 25 20 27 20 
			 Cooksown 1 6 7 8 
			 Craigavon 16 17 29 23 
			 Castlereagh 27 13 8 24 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 3 6 5 12 
			 Down 17 10 15 9 
			 Fermanagh 17 9 9 11 
			 Foyle 69 69 59 50 
			 Larne 4 13 10 3 
			 Limavady 11 15 7 4 
			 Lisburn 29 48 43 37 
			 Magherafelt 3 6 5 7 
			 Moyle 5 3 4 1 
			 Newtownabbey 35 19 12 8 
			 North down 24 38 22 26 
			 Newry and Mourne 8 15 26 22 
			 Omagh 7 12 14 11 
			 Strabane 8 7 8 10 
			 Missing 20 13 14 14 
			 Total 858 730 669 674 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data are based on the police district command unit (DCU) in which an offender's address falls.
	2. Police DCUs became operational in April 2001. However, for the purposes of comparability, calendar year 2000 data are also disaggregated by DCU, rather than police division.
	3. It is not possible to disaggregate data by DCU for 1999. Missing data relate to those offenders for which DCU information is not available.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Community Support Officers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to police authorities on meeting the shortfall in central funding for police community support officers in 2006–07.

Charles Clarke: We will be providing police authorities with good practice guidance early next year to assist them in developing their strategies for working with partners to obtain matched funding for police community support officer posts.

Experience Corps

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the March 2005 accounts of the Experience Corps to be published.

Paul Goggins: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has no responsibility for the March 2005 accounts of the Experience Corps. Section 47 of the Charities Act 1993 requires that all registered charities publish annual accounts.

Experience Corps

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a Minister in his Department last met representatives of the Experience Corps.

Paul Goggins: On 8 July 2003 Fiona Mactaggart met Baroness Greengross and Mavis Best of the Experience Corps and Stuart Etherington of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.

Experience Corps

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why his Department did not renew its original grant of £20 million to the Experience Corps.

Paul Goggins: The decision not to renew funding for the Experience Corps beyond March 2004 followed a fully independent assessment of their performance.

Experience Corps

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public funding the Experience Corps is receiving in 2005–06.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office did not make any funding available to the Experience Corps in the financial year 2005–06.

Illegal Taxis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for operating an illegal taxi service in (a) Southend, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire, (d) Greater London and (e) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is given in the table. It shows the number of defendants prosecuted at the magistrates court for the offence of 'touting for hire car services in a public place' under Section 167 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 for South East Essex petty sessional area (which includes Southend), Essex, Hertfordshire, Greater London and England and Wales 2000–04.
	It is not possible to identify those prosecutions in Southend as the data are not collected at this level of detail.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts for operating an illegal taxi service, 2000–04(44)
		
			 Offence descriptions: touting for hire car services in a public place 
			 Statute: Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 S.167 
			 Location 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 South East Essex PSA — — — — — 
			 Essex — — 1 1 2 
			 Hertfordshire — 2 1 1 3 
			 Greater London 144 164 222 242 467 
			 England and Wales 156 178 229 256 483 
		
	
	(44) These data are on the principal offence basis
	Court statistics for 2005 will be available in the autumn 2006.

Independent Monitoring Boards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of changing the recruitment process for the appointment of independent monitoring board members; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The recruitment process for members of independent monitoring boards is currently under review by the National Council for Independent Monitoring Boards and no decision has been taken on changes which may be made to the process.

Internet (Improper Use)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 5 October 2005, Official Report, column 2845W, on improper use of the internet, when he expects the full business case for the IMPACT programme to be completed; for what reasons the full business case was not delivered in line with the Home Office progress report on the Bichard Recommendations of 22 December 2004.

Charles Clarke: The IMPACT programme has been significantly re-engineered since the first progress report, in recognition of its scale and complexity. As reported in the second progress report, published in November, an outline business case was considered by the Home Office Group Investment Board in September 2005. Following further work to develop the options in consultation with the police service and other stakeholders, a further business case will be considered in March 2006.

Police

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely change in police precepts as a result of the Government's commitment to increase the number of police community support officers to 24,000 by 2008; what (a) representations on this matter and (b) estimates of precepts he has received from (i) police authorities and (ii) local authorities; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Charles Clarke: We have received no formal representations from police authorities or local authorities on this issue.
	We are providing additional resources of £88 million in 2006–07 and £340 million in 2007–08 through the Neighbourhood Policing Fund to support an increase in the numbers of community support officers to 24,000 by 2008. The Statement made by my right hon. friend the Minister for local government on 5 December clearly set out that we expect to see average council tax increases of less than five percent. in each year in 2006–07 and 2007–08. With judicious financial planning, there is no reason for police authorities to set excessive increases in police precepts on council tax next year.

Probation Officers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation officers broken down by grade, were suspended from duty in (a) Southend, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) the Metropolitan Police area of London in each of the last 15 years for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information is not available for the full period requested, as data for periods over 12 months can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	As staffing information is held by each probation area it has not been possible to show the figures for Southend separately. The staffing figures are therefore provided for Essex, London, and Hertfordshire probation areas only.
	The following figures show the number of probation officers who have been suspended during the last 12 months.
	
		
			 Area Grade Outcome of suspension 
		
		
			 Southend/Essex 1 x senior probation officers No case to answer 
			  3 x probation officers No case to answer 
			
			 Hertfordshire 1 x probation officer Dismissed 
			
			 Metropolitan police area for London 4 x probation support officers 3 x investigation ongoing 
			   1 x no case to answer 
			
			  1 x trainee probation officer 1 x investigation ongoing

Queen's Award for Voluntary Service

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations were (a) nominated and (b) awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004 and (iii) 2005, broken down by local authority area.

Paul Goggins: Recipients of The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, given to groups of two or more volunteers, are published (by region) in the London Gazette Supplement No.1 on 1 June each year, which is the date of the announcement of this Award from Buckingham Palace. This information can also be found on the website: www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk. It also contains FAQ's on the administration of the Award.
	Perhaps the most apposite way to request information on the break down of recipients by local authority would be through regional Government Offices as they are involved in the Award selection process through a local Selection Panel. Their recommendations are sent for final selection to the Award Committee. The Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should also be able to supply this information.
	On the question of nominated groups. 1,391 eligible nominations were received in 2002–03; 667 in 2003–04 and 580 in 2004–05. Details on each nominated group are contained on forms sent to the administrators of this Award by an individual nominator and has always been regarded as personal information and has never been published.

Race Equality Impact Assessments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Race Equality Impact Assessments his Department completed between (a) April 2004 and March 2005 and (b) April 2005 and November 2005; and how many assessments in each period resulted in a change of policy.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office has conducted 10 race equality impact assessments during the April 2004 to March 2005 period. Five of which resulted in policy changes being made. So far five assessments have been conducted during the April-November 2005 period.

Sex Offenders

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in (a) England, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) Kettering constituency have appeared on the sex offenders register in each of the last 10 years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 (often known as the sex offenders register) came into force on 1 September 1997. These requirements have been updated and strengthened through the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
	Until 2001, data on the number of sex offenders were collated on a national basis from the police national computer. However, this arrangement was overtaken following the introduction of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) and the requirement on each police and probation area to produce annual reports detailing the work undertaken to safeguard the public and manage dangerous offenders in the community. The MAPPA reports include statistics on the number of offenders who are subject to the notification requirements. The 2001–02 reports state that on 31 March 2002 there were 18,513 registered sex offenders living in the community in England and Wales. The 2002–03 reports state that on 31 March 2003 the number was 21,413. The 2003–04 reports state that on 31 March 2004 the number was 24,572 and the most recent 2004–05 reports state that on 31 March 2005 the number was 28,994. This increase is to be expected before the notification requirement regime, which was introduced in 1997 with a partially retrospective operation, matures and stabilises.
	The MAPPA report for Northamptonshire is available from Northamptonshire police, Northamptonshire probation service and also from the National Probation Service website. Statistics are not available for the number of offenders within a constituency.

Terrorist Suspects

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1112W, on terrorist suspects, how many of the 11 suspects charged after being held for 13 to 14 days in 2004 and 2005 were successfully prosecuted, where all proceedings in the case are complete.

Charles Clarke: The Metropolitan police have advised that only one of the cases recorded as being held for 13 to 14 days has been completed and that the individual was convicted.

Treason

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the last conviction for treason was; and what penalty was imposed.

Fiona Mactaggart: The last conviction for treason was in 1994, under the Treason Felony Act 1848. The sentence was a community supervision order. The death penalty for treason was replaced by a maximum of life imprisonment in 1998.

Victim Support

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role is played by Victim Support in helping victims of crime in Chorley.

Fiona Mactaggart: Since 1997 the Home Office Grant-in-Aid to Victim Support has nearly trebled, from £11.7 million to almost £30 million in 2005–06.
	The grant-in-aid memorandum sets out the services that Victim Support is expected to deliver to victims and witnesses. However, decisions regarding the management of these services in Chorley are the responsibility of the Victim Support Lancashire Board of Trustees.
	Victim Support Lancashire's Chorley branch provides free and confidential support for victims of crime. Victim Support Lancashire also runs the witness service, supporting those attending court, in all Lancashire criminal courts.

Youth Offender Teams

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the performance of youth offender teams against their key indicators was in (a) North Wales and (b) England and Wales between April 2004 and March 2005.

Fiona Mactaggart: The following table shows performance against the Key Performance Indicators for the four Youth Offending Teams in North Wales (Conwy and Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Mon and Wrexham) and the outturn for England and Wales for the period April 2004 to March 2005.
	
		Youth offending team performance (April 2004 to March 2005)
		
			Percentage 
			 Key performance indicator (45)Target North Wales Yots outturn 2004–05 England and Wales outturn 2004–05 
		
		
			 Prevention(46)  162 24,411 
			 Recidivism(47)  30.9 46.9 
			 Final warnings 80 81.1 85.3 
			 Use of custody
			 Use of custodial remands 30 40.8 44.4 
			 Use of custodial disposals 6 5.3 6.2 
			 RJ and victim satisfaction   
			 Use of restorative processes 75 87.1 81.8 
			 Victim satisfaction 75 98.0 96.8 
			 Parenting
			 Parental intervention 10 18.0 11.7 
			 Parental satisfaction 75 99.2 97.6 
			 ASSET
			 Community ASSET Start 100 88.5 94.7 
			 Community ASSET End 100 89.1 95.8 
			 Custodial ASSET Start 100 90.1 97.9 
			 Custodial ASSET Middle 100 95.8 98.0 
			 Custodial ASSET End 100 93.1 97.6 
			 Pre sentence reports 90 98.1 88.6 
			 DTO training plans 100 86.1 82.1 
			 Education, Training and Employment 90 80.5 74.2 
			 Accommodation 100 91.4 93.6 
			 CAMHS
			 Acute mental health 100 81.3 85.3 
			 Non acute mental health 100 34.2 90.4 
			 Substance Misuse   
			 Substance misuse assessment (within five days) 100 83.2 73.5 
			 Substance misuse treatment (within 10 days) 100 93.2 92.2 
		
	
	(45) As published in YJB Corporate Plan 2004–05 to 2006–07
	(46) Measured as a figure, (the number of young people that area identified and targeted for support based on YISP or other effective arrangements), rather than as a percentage against target of 200 per Yot. There were 155 Yots in England and Wales 2004–05.
	(47) Recidivism rate, collected by local Yots, of the 2002 cohort after 24 months.

HEALTH

A&E Departments

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the effect on (a) costs and (b) risks to patients' health of running split-site accident and emergency departments.

Liam Byrne: There are national health service trusts that are responsible for two or more hospitals that each provides accident and emergency services but I am not aware of any single departments working on split sites or of any plans to provide services in this way. No assessment of the costs or risks of a single department being split between two or more sites has therefore being made.

Allergies

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to increase the number of training places for allergy specialists; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The number of doctors in training in allergy increased from two in 2000 to seven in 2004.

Anorexia

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to develop NHS services for patients with anorexia nervosa.

Rosie Winterton: We take the issue of eating disorders, especially among young people, very seriously. Anorexia nervosa in particular can have serious consequences for general health, and has high rates of mortality. This is why we asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to publish guidelines on core interventions for these disorders as part of its second programme of work. NICE published clinical guidelines on eating disorders in January 2004.
	We envisage that services for people with eating disorders will improve, along with the whole spectrum of mental health services, as a result both of the Government's prioritisation of mental health services through the implementation of the 1999 national service framework for mental health and our increased spending on mental health from 4.07 billion in 19992000 to 5.09 billion in 200304.

Asylum Seekers

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether primary care trusts have responsibility for monitoring the standard of care provided in detention centres for asylum seekers.

Caroline Flint: On site services at immigration removal centres are subject to monitoring by Home Office contract monitors and are included in Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prison's inspections of individual centres. Operating standards for the centres also exist, including for healthcare, and the centres are required to audit compliance with them and submit their findings to the Director of Detention Services. In addition, initial discussions have taken place with the Healthcare Commission with a view to the possible registration of the private contractors who provide services at removal centres, which would bring them within the Healthcare Commission's oversight and inspection programme. While primary care trusts are not part of the formal monitoring process, they are being encouraged to work together with the removal centres to develop local protocols to improve the interface between healthcare services within the centres and the local national health service.

Blood

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2005, Official Report, columns 56667W, on blood, what percentage of (a) hospitals and (b) primary care trusts are (i) partially and (ii) fully compliant with current requirements and best practice.

Caroline Flint: Hospital blood banks or primary care trusts do not require authorisation but are required under the provisions of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 (as amended) to submit a report on or before 31 December 2005 to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) if undertaking activities covered by these regulations. These reports will be assessed by the MHRA for compliance with the regulations and regulatory action will follow where necessary.
	Blood establishments do require authorisation. Seven hospital blood banks have thus far been granted blood establishment authorisations under the regulations.

Breast Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects guidelines to be issued by the National Cancer Research Institute on the administration of Herceptin prior to a licence being obtained for its use in early breast cancer and on related issues.

Rosie Winterton: I understand that the National Cancer Research Institute hopes to be able to issue this guidance imminently.

Cancer Treatment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when she expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to issue appraisals on (a) Velcade for multiple myeloma, (b) Taxotere for breast cancer, (c) Taxol for breast cancer, (d) MabThera for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, (e) Gemzar for advanced breast cancer and (f) Fludara for lymphocytic leukaemia;
	(2)  if she will instruct the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to fast-track appraisals for the drugs (a) Arimidiex for early stage breast cancer, (b) Aromasin for early stage breast cancer, (c) Femara for early stage breast cancer, (d) Avatsin for colorectal cancer, (e) xeloda for colorectal cancer, (f) taxotere for prostate cancer, (g) aransep for chemotherapy-induced anaemia, (h) eprex for chemotherapy-induced anaemia, (i) neorocoromon for chemotherapy-induced anaemia, (j) eloxititan for colorectal cancer, (k) alimta for mesothelioma, (l) temodol for high grade gliomas, (m) Tarceva for non-small cell lung cancer, (n) rubetican for pancreatic cancer, (o) Campto for adjuvant-advanced colorectal cancer, (p) Alimta for non-small cell lung cancer, (q) Erbitux for locally advanced recurrent metastatic head and neck cancer, (r) atrasentan for prostate cancer and (s) Exetrol for hypercholestolaemia.

Jane Kennedy: Using its single technology appraisal (STA) process, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has already started work on appraising Velcade, Taxotere, Taxol and MabThera. I understand NICE will start work on Gemazar and Fludara early in 2006.
	We are currently discussing with NICE a second tranche of topics to go through the STA process.

Capital Schemes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the basis on which the NHS capital programme is financed by credit guarantee finance.

Liam Byrne: The HM Treasury document, PFIMeeting the Investment Challenge (2000) set out the Government's approach to the private finance initiative (PFI) and the role of private finance in PFI. This included the Government's plans to test the use of alternative finance for certain PFI projectscredit guarantee finance (CGF).
	CGF is a loan, guaranteed by banks, monolines or other acceptable finance institutions, from the sponsoring department to a PFI project special purpose vehicle on market terms.
	National health service capital spending, including PFI, is shown in figure 4.1 in the 2005 departmental report. 200405 total outturn was 4,864 million and 200506 plan is 6,087 million. CGF has provided finance for two health PFI schemes265 million for Leeds in 200405 and Portsmouth, expected to be about 262 million, which will reach financial close in the next few days. The CGF amounts are included in the totals.

Chase Farm Hospital

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effects of closing down the accident and emergency department at Chase Farm hospital on transport times for (a) patients and (b) employees who will now go to North Middlesex;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the research and statistics underlying the proposed closure of the accident and emergency department of Chase Farm hospital;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the proposed closure of the accident and emergency department at Chase Farm hospital on (a) the quality and (b) accessibility of services for the people using North Middlesex hospital accident and emergency services.

Jane Kennedy: The department has made no assessment.
	The disposition of services at Chase Farm hospital is a local matter. The trust with local primary care trusts has been conducting a local engagement exercise with local stakeholders, in line with national policies on public and patient involvement, to develop proposals for the future. Any proposals for change will be for full public consultation, which will set out the reasons for change and the implications for patients and staff locally.
	The role of Government are to set the national agenda. It is down to the strategic health authority, working in partnership with the primary care trusts, and local stakeholders who are best placed to plan and develop services, according to the needs of the local community.

Chemical ITX

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has evaluated on the migration of the chemical ITX from food packaging into food; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The chemical isopropylthioxanthone (ITX) is a component of printing inks used on some Tetrapak food packaging. It has been found at very low levels in some foodstuffs in this type of packaging, including liquid infant formula products. The European Food Safety Agency has assessed the safety of ITX and advised that it does not give cause for health concern at the levels reported. Tetrapak has now stopped using this type of printing for infant formula products and is stopping its use for other food products.

Continuing Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have received NHS-funded continuing care in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The available data is shown in the table.
	
		Total number of individuals receiving continuing care in each financial year
		
			  Number of individuals 
		
		
			 200203 17,019 
			 200304 19,723 
			 200405 20,842 
		
	
	Source:
	Continuing care data submitted by primary care trusts at quarter four (31 March) as part of local delivery planning return collection.

Dentistry

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists there are per head of population in (a) Torbay and (b) England.

Rosie Winterton: The number of general dental services and personal dental services dentists per 10,000 population in England and Torbay Primary Care Trust as at 30 September 2005 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Dentists per 10,000 population 
		
		
			 England 4.19 
			 Torbay PCT 5.64 
		
	
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre
	The figures are calculated using Office for National Statistics 2003 mid-year population estimates based on the 2001 census.

Dentistry

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are in Hereford constituency; and what percentage of their time each spent treating NHS patients in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: As at 30 September 2005, there were 69 national health service dentists with a general dental services (GDS) or personal dental services (PDS) contract within Hereford constituency.
	A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the primary care trust. The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to private or NHS work by individual dentists.

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1795W, on NHS dentistry, when she expects to publish the budget.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts have already been informed, in confidence, of their dentistry budgets for 200607 to allow them to plan their provision for next year. These are still subject to minor adjustments and will be published as part of the normal annual financial information for the national health service in the spring.

Dentistry

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospital and (b) community dentists have been employed in each year from 1979 to 1997, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Rosie Winterton: The data requested is only available from 1987 and is shown in the tables.
	
		Hospital and community health services (HCHS) : dental staff by sector within each strategic health authority,England at 30 September each year
		
			 Number (headcount) 
			   1987 1988 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff 
		
		
			 England  3,711 1,950 1,761 3,652 1,990 1,662 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Q01 108 41 67 112 46 66 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Q02 70 23 47 64 15 49 
			 Essex Q03 91 44 47 83 41 42 
			 North West London Q04 120 44 76 107 36 71 
			 North Central London Q05 115 62 53 115 69 46 
			 North East London Q06 131 94 37 124 86 38 
			 South East London Q07 218 156 62 257 197 60 
			 South West London Q08 93 36 57 89 37 52 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Q09 155 77 78 141 74 67 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Q10 63 17 46 55 21 34 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Q11 72 24 48 68 23 45 
			 West Yorkshire Q12 189 87 102 162 75 87 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Q13 102 41 61 98 38 60 
			 Greater Manchester Q14 198 87 111 215 86 129 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Q15 172 70 102 172 74 98 
			 Thames Valley Q16 92 24 68 86 24 62 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Q17 115 33 82 104 28 76 
			 Kent and Medway Q18 69 22 47 70 26 44 
			 Surrey and Sussex Q19 118 42 76 112 42 70 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Q20 173 91 82 176 94 82 
			 South West Peninsula Q21 62 25 37 68 30 38 
			 Dorset and Somerset Q22 55 25 30 51 24 27 
			 South Yorkshire Q23 114 78 36 116 86 30 
			 Trent Q24 86 28 58 91 34 57 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Q25 67 29 38 66 29 37 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Q26 66 17 49 63 16 47 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country Q27 216 110 106 204 110 94 
			 West Midlands South Q28 90 33 57 87 34 53 
			 Other(48)  491 490 1 496 495 1 
		
	
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			   1989 1990 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff 
		
		
			 England  3,655 2,010 1,645 3,628 2,051 1,577 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Q01 113 50 63 111 51 60 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Q02 62 20 42 65 20 45 
			 Essex Q03 72 31 41 72 30 42 
			 North West London Q04 118 46 72 128 44 84 
			 North Central London Q05 111 66 45 116 67 49 
			 North East London Q06 118 82 36 118 85 33 
			 South East London Q07 272 216 56 243 189 54 
			 South West London Q08 85 33 52 93 42 51 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Q09 133 72 61 133 77 56 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Q10 55 21 34 52 20 32 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Q11 59 23 36 70 33 37 
			 West Yorkshire Q12 170 66 104 117 45 72 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Q13 101 36 65 102 38 64 
			 Greater Manchester Q14 200 84 116 204 92 112 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Q15 156 63 93 154 68 86 
			 Thames Valley Q16 91 31 60 89 30 59 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Q17 129 36 93 120 37 83 
			 Kent and Medway Q18 64 21 43 73 29 44 
			 Surrey and Sussex Q19 114 42 72 112 42 70 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Q20 166 90 76 172 90 82 
			 South West Peninsula Q21 69 33 36 66 38 28 
			 Dorset and Somerset Q22 57 31 26 56 33 23 
			 South Yorkshire Q23 128 98 30 127 95 32 
			 Trent Q24 94 33 61 91 31 60 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Q25 67 28 39 63 22 41 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Q26 62 17 45 63 21 42 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country Q27 207 112 95 196 108 88 
			 West Midlands South Q28 84 31 53 82 34 48 
			 Other(48)  498 498 0 540 540 0 
		
	
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			   1991 1992 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff 
		
		
			 England  3,479 2,010 1,469 3,493 2,076 1,417 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Q01 87 44 43 92 50 42 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Q02 58 16 42 65 22 43 
			 Essex Q03 80 41 39 77 39 38 
			 North West London Q04 121 43 78 122 44 78 
			 North Central London Q05 91 45 46 80 33 47 
			 North East London Q06 129 91 38 127 93 34 
			 South East London Q07 232 189 43 260 202 58 
			 South West London Q08 95 53 42 87 45 42 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Q09 133 75 58 130 82 48 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Q10 51 21 30 56 25 31 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Q11 79 36 43 76 39 37 
			 West Yorkshire Q12 125 53 72 124 55 69 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Q13 102 40 62 111 49 62 
			 Greater Manchester Q14 193 101 92 188 101 87 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Q15 157 75 82 186 92 94 
			 Thames Valley Q16 86 27 59 91 34 57 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Q17 109 45 64 113 52 61 
			 Kent and Medway Q18 65 29 36 56 27 29 
			 Surrey and Sussex Q19 120 42 78 112 54 58 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Q20 174 94 80 174 107 67 
			 South West Peninsula Q21 69 42 27 79 51 28 
			 Dorset and Somerset Q22 53 33 20 56 38 18 
			 South Yorkshire Q23 110 80 30 114 82 32 
			 Trent Q24 87 29 58 87 27 60 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Q25 64 22 42 59 20 39 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Q26 59 20 39 50 25 25 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country Q27 158 84 74 169 83 86 
			 West Midlands South Q28 75 27 48 74 31 43 
			 Other(48)  517 513 4 478 474 4 
		
	
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			   1993 1994 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff 
		
		
			 England  3,462 2,070 1,392 3,372 2,067 1,305 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Q01 96 58 38 109 69 40 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Q02 69 24 45 66 35 31 
			 Essex Q03 69 37 32 60 32 28 
			 North West London Q04 110 40 70 106 32 74 
			 North Central London Q05 68 31 37 93 50 43 
			 North East London Q06 100 60 40 78 44 34 
			 South East London Q07 263 210 53 233 188 45 
			 South West London Q08 96 55 41 93 53 40 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Q09 152 106 46 157 115 42 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Q10 60 30 30 53 34 19 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Q11 82 47 35 83 50 33 
			 West Yorkshire Q12 135 67 68 142 77 65 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Q13 110 48 62 112 54 58 
			 Greater Manchester Q14 186 103 83 209 127 82 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Q15 191 97 94 178 92 86 
			 Thames Valley Q16 90 36 54 88 52 36 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Q17 108 53 55 112 58 54 
			 Kent and Medway Q18 69 39 30 64 26 38 
			 Surrey and Sussex Q19 132 65 67 155 87 68 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Q20 153 90 63 185 122 63 
			 South West Peninsula Q21 82 53 29 85 56 29 
			 Dorset and Somerset Q22 60 38 22 49 35 14 
			 South Yorkshire Q23 122 89 33 125 94 31 
			 Trent Q24 87 34 53 105 46 59 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Q25 68 30 38 70 40 30 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Q26 81 38 43 63 39 24 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country Q27 186 98 88 183 96 87 
			 West Midlands South Q28 69 29 40 89 44 45 
			 Other(48)  368 365 3 227 220 7 
		
	
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			   1995 1996 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff 
		
		
			 England  3,456 2,139 1,317 3,490 2,113 1,377 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Q01 112 73 39 108 69 39 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Q02 73 35 38 76 37 39 
			 Essex Q03 69 41 28 79 46 33 
			 North West London Q04 106 29 77 111 24 87 
			 North Central London Q05 101 53 48 178 141 37 
			 North East London Q06 81 46 35 106 57 49 
			 South East London Q07 250 211 39 235 198 37 
			 South West London Q08 86 47 39 90 56 34 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Q09 131 97 34 135 97 38 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Q10 69 37 32 62 31 31 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Q11 86 58 28 80 51 29 
			 West Yorkshire Q12 129 73 56 155 93 62 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Q13 115 55 60 124 61 63 
			 Greater Manchester Q14 215 129 86 232 150 82 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Q15 187 99 88 206 103 103 
			 Thames Valley Q16 106 55 51 114 59 55 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Q17 102 49 53 112 60 52 
			 Kent and Medway Q18 80 31 49 77 34 43 
			 Surrey and Sussex Q19 151 90 61 148 85 63 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Q20 182 119 63 176 114 62 
			 South West Peninsula Q21 99 64 35 104 71 33 
			 Dorset and Somerset Q22 71 55 16 61 45 16 
			 South Yorkshire Q23 105 73 32 123 86 37 
			 Trent Q24 113 56 57 129 65 64 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Q25 74 37 37 76 39 37 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Q26 67 41 26 68 45 23 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country Q27 194 132 62 238 153 85 
			 West Midlands South Q28 90 47 43 87 43 44 
			 Other(48)  212 207 5 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			   1997 
			Of which: 
			   All dental staff Hospital dental staff Community health service dental staff 
		
		
			 England  3,567 2,188 1,379 
			  
			 Of which: 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Q01 133 81 52 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Q02 73 37 36 
			 Essex Q03 79 46 33 
			 North West London Q04 101 23 78 
			 North Central London Q05 186 143 43 
			 North East London Q06 101 53 48 
			 South East London Q07 207 170 37 
			 South West London Q08 92 59 33 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Q09 133 97 36 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Q10 85 54 31 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Q11 88 58 30 
			 West Yorkshire Q12 173 108 65 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Q13 120 56 64 
			 Greater Manchester Q14 235 152 83 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Q15 209 114 95 
			 Thames Valley Q16 120 58 62 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Q17 110 60 50 
			 Kent and Medway Q18 71 30 41 
			 Surrey and Sussex Q19 162 97 65 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Q20 177 110 67 
			 South West Peninsula Q21 112 73 39 
			 Dorset and Somerset Q22 66 52 14 
			 South Yorkshire Q23 125 90 35 
			 Trent Q24 133 70 63 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Q25 82 46 36 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Q26 67 45 22 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country Q27 241 167 74 
			 West Midlands South Q28 85 38 47 
			 Other(48)  1 1 0 
		
	
	(48) Other includes regional health authorities, special health authorities and special hospitals. Most regional health authority and special health authority organisations existed prior to the creation of the SHA boundaries and therefore cannot be mapped into a specific SHA. Special hospitals are national centres (e.g. National Blood Authority) and therefore cannot be mapped to a specific SHA.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

Dentistry

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are in (a) England, (b) West Yorkshire and (c) Huddersfield.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of dentists in England, West Yorkshire strategic health authority (SHA) and Huddersfield parliamentary constituency as of 30 September 2005
		
			  
		
		
			 England 20,890 
			 West Yorkshire SHA 836 
			 Huddersfield Constituency 53 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data include all notifications of dentists joining or leaving the general dental service or personal dental service, received by the Dental Practice Board, up to 2 November 2005 for England data, and 19 October 2005 for SHA and constituency data.
	2. The definition of dentists includes principals, assistants and trainees. Prison contracts have been excluded from the data.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Dentistry

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth what measures she is taking to ensure adequate provision of NHS dentistry in Beverley and Holderness.

Rosie Winterton: In 200405, the Department allocated 1.3 million to the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire strategic health authority (SHA) to improve access, choice and quality in national health service dentistry. In 200405, the East Yorkshire primary care trust (PCT) and the Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT, received 147,000 and 160,000 respectively.
	The SHA advises that these funds were used to assist the development of new dental practices at Bridlington, Driffield, Pocklington and Beverley together with expansion of existing practices at Brough and South Cave. The new practices will allow 17,500 new national health service patient registrations and 2,000 additional NHS patients to access NHS care at the expanded practices.
	In addition, a new practice is due to open in early February at Beverley, providing care for 3,000 NHS patients, under a personal dental service (PDS) contract.
	There are access centres at Bridlington, Pocklington, Driffield, Goole, Cottingham, Withernsea and also at Hull. The access service provides care for over 40,000 patients annually.
	Two Polish dentists have been recruited through the Department's overseas recruitment programme and are now working within a practice in the Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT area.
	Both PCTs have been working with dental practices to support them in moving over to the new PDS contract. The number of dental practices which have converted to PDS within each of the PCTs is as follows:
	East Yorkshire PCT: six practices, 15 whole-time equivalent (wte) practitioners, 40,602 patients,
	Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT: eight practices, 14 wte practitioners, 43,219 patients.

Drug Supplies

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost to pharmacists of providing full patient packs if reimbursement is based on the quantity of drugs prescribed; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: No estimates have been made by the Department of dispensing patient packs if reimbursement is based on the quantity of medicine prescribed. Work undertaken by the Prescription Pricing Authority has shown that the quantity prescribed matches that of an available pack size in the majority of cases. For example, sample statistics show that drugs available in a pack size of 28 is prescribed in multiples of 28 nearly 78 per cent. of the time. In these cases the cost to the pharmacist of providing full patient packs is nil.
	It is not possible to ascertain whether pharmacists would incur cost by providing patient packs when reimbursement is based on the quantity prescribed as providing a full pack could mean that the amount dispensed is varied both upwards and downwards in comparison to the amount prescribed on different occasions, therefore the times more is dispensed may be balanced by the times less is dispensed.
	Furthermore, if pharmacists are not obligated to dispense a quantity other than that which is prescribed, they would retain the option of dispensing exactly as prescribed, thereby incurring no costs or losses.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on the Community action programme on injury prevention, (b) Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme for the prevention of AIDS and certain other communicable diseases, (c) Committee on the action programme on rare diseases in the framework of the action plan for public health and (d) Advisory Committee on cancer prevention have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many meetings of the EU Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme on (a) the prevention of drug dependence in the framework of the action plan for public health, (b) pollution-related diseases in the framework of the action plan for public health, (c) health promotion information, education and training and (d) health monitoring in the framework of the action plan for public health have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Committees no longer sit and did not meet during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union.

European Medicines Evaluation Agency

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the UK financial contribution to the running of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency was in 200405.

Jane Kennedy: The European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) is funded in part through fees paid by pharmaceutical companies for work undertaken by the EMEA to assess marketing authorisation applications, and in part by community subsidy, to which the United Kingdom pays a financial contribution.
	In 2005, the European Union budgetary commitment and payment to the European Medicines Agency, inclusive of orphan drugs, was 29,100,000, of which 3.5 million was provided by the UK.

European Working Time Directive

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff have been recruited by (a) Hammersmith andFulham NHS trust and (b) Hammersmith hospitals NHS trust as a result of the European working time directive.

Jane Kennedy: This information is not held centrally.
	Implementation of the working time directive (WTD) is the responsibility of local national health service trusts and strategic health authorities were required to draw up affordable plans to meet WTD 2004.
	The Government agreed to implement the European working time directive as United Kingdom legislation to improve the health and safety and working lives of all employees in this country. The vast majority of staff groups have been covered by the 48-hour week since 1998. The Government negotiated an extension to the WTD for doctors in training to enable phased implementation from August 2004.

Foundation Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS foundation trusts have (a) closed and (b) downgraded their accident and emergency departments since their establishment.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not held centrally. Information relating to the operational management of national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs) can be obtained via the chairman of each organisation.
	The terms of authorisation for NHSFTs requires them to comply with national healthcare targets and standards, which includes a key target that patients should wait no longer than four hours to be treated in accident and emergency. A significant failure to comply with standards and targets may lead to intervention by Monitor, the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHSFTs.

Foundation Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the hospital trusts in England that are considering proposals to downgrade their accident and emergency departments to accept planned admissions only.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not routinely collect operational management information on proposals to close wards or capacity.
	National health service bodies are under a duty to consult local authority overview and scrutiny committees on any plans to make substantial changes to NHS services.

Gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to control gentamicin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.

Jane Kennedy: Minimising the development and spread of strains such as gentamicin resistant staphylococcus aureus requires prudent prescribing of antibiotics as well as strict adherence to infection control measures. This is why prudent prescribing is part of our programme to tackle healthcare associated infections. To support this we have provided 12 million over three years for hospital clinical pharmacists.

Health Bill

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent evaluation her Department has undertaken of public opinion on Part I of the Health Bill; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The most recent data on public attitudes to smoking restrictions is available in the Office for National Statistics publication Smoking Related Behaviour and Attitudes 2004, which surveyed opinion on restrictions on smoking in certain places.
	
		
			 Smoking should be restricted in certain places (Table 6.13) Percentage agreeing 
		
		
			 at work 88 
			 in restaurants 91 
			 in pubs 65 
			 in indoor shopping centres 87 
			 in indoor sports and leisure centres 93 
			 in indoor areas in railway/bus stations 82 
			 in other public places 93 
		
	
	Suggested restrictions on smoking in pubs 200304.
	
		
			 In pubs, would prefer (Table 6.21) Percentage agreeing 
		
		
			 no smoking allowed anywhere 31 
			 mainly non-smoking with smoking areas 47 
			 mainly smoking with non-smoking areas 16 
			 smoking allowed throughout 5 
			 don't go to pubs/don't know 2 
		
	
	Part I of the Health Bill recognises these differences in public opinion between general work places, public places and places where meals are consumed, and the different attitude towards pubs.

Health Services

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will meet local hon. Members to discuss proposals for future provision of (a) health care services and (b) local NHS dentistry provided by (i) Kettering general hospital and (ii) Northamptonshire Heartlands primary care trust; and when she plans to respond to previous requests to do so;
	(2)  if she will visit Kettering constituency to discuss funding for the local general hospital and primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: I would be happy to consider meeting with the hon. Member to discuss local health issues and possibility of visiting Kettering.

Health Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many job losses she expects as a result of the merger of primary care trusts in West Lancashire; what budget she has allocated for severance payments in (a) West Lancashire and (b) England; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Ministers have given the go-ahead for all 28 strategic health authorities (SHAs) to begin local consultations on boundary changes to SHAs and primary care trusts. Consultations started on 14 December and will continue for a period of 14 weeks (until 22 March). No decisions on boundary changes will be taken until these local consultations have been completed and their outcomes considered by Secretary of State. Until any boundary changes are agreed, it is not possible to calculate the number of job losses in any particular area.
	Strategic health authorities have been asked to minimise the cost of severance and where possible, these should be financed from in-year management cost savings.

Health Spending

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected per capita Government spending on health in London is for 200506; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The total spend by national health service organisations in London for 200506 will be reported in the 200506 final accounts, which will be published in autumn 2006.
	The forecasts for 200506 recently published on the Department publications website are based on un-audited data. The forecasts are available at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en
	The latest year for which audited financial data is available is 200405. The following table shows the spend per head for primary care trusts (PCTs) in London for 200405.
	
		200405 expenditure per head
		
			 PCT  
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,211 
			 Barnet 1,223 
			 Bexley Care Trust 1,105 
			 Brent Teaching 1,363 
			 Bromley 1,128 
			 Camden 1,635 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 1,481 
			 Croydon 1,135 
			 Ealing 1,281 
			 Enfield 1,160 
			 Greenwich Teaching 1,310 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,337 
			 Haringey Teaching 1,343 
			 Harrow 1,147 
			 Havering 1,167 
			 Hillingdon 1,114 
			 Hounslow 1,320 
			 Islington 1,716 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,397 
			 Kingston 1,114 
			 Lambeth 1,664 
			 Lewisham 1,414 
			 Newham 1,348 
			 Redbridge 1,109 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 1,163 
			 Southwark 1,532 
			 Sutton and Merton 1,154 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,517 
			 Waltham Forest 1,235 
			 Wandsworth 1,323 
			 Westminster 1,495 
		
	
	Source:
	Audited primary care trust summarisation schedules 200405
	2003 based 2004 Office for National Statistics projections

Hepatitis C

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many hospitals offer treatment for hepatitis C;
	(2)  which primary care trusts do not have a hospital in their area which offers treatment for hepatitis C.

Caroline Flint: This information is not available centrally. In line with Shifting the Balance of Power, decisions about the provision of local services, including for hepatitis C are made by local national health service organisations.
	Information at NHS trust level about finished consultant episodes with hepatitis C recorded as a primary diagnosis is usually available. However, this information cannot currently be provided due to disruption to the hospital episodes statistics service following the recent fire at the fuel storage depot in Hemel Hempstead.

Hepatitis C

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the FaCe It campaign on hepatitis C; what the total expenditure on the campaign has been since it was introduced; when funding for the FaCe It campaign will cease; and what steps she intends to take to heighten awareness of hepatitis C following the end of the FaCe It campaign.

Caroline Flint: Qualitative research of hepatitis C awareness among general practitioners and practice nurses has been carried out this year. This research, which repeats a baseline study carried out in 2001, indicates that awareness of hepatitis C is much improved compared to 2001 and that hepatitis C testing is being offered to those known to be at risk.
	The Health Protection Agency has been monitoring the number of reported laboratory diagnoses of hepatitis C, which is a national outcome indicator for implementation of the Hepatitis C Action Plan for England. There has been a noticeable upward trend in hepatitis C diagnoses since 2000 from just under 5,000 reports to around 8,000 in 2004. Injecting drug users are the group currently at greatest risk of hepatitis C infection in this country. The unlinked anonymous prevalence monitoring programme's survey of injecting drug users in contact with specialist services 1 showed that 67 per cent. had had a voluntary confidential test for hepatitis C in 2004 compared to 49 per cent. in 2000.
	There has also been qualitative research this year into format and design of the hepatitis C Face Your Past leaflet, which is being widely distributed as the hepatitis C awareness photography exhibition tours regional cities. This research suggested that the design, content and tone were effective at gaining attention and giving a clear message without causing panic.
	Research into public awareness of hepatitis C will be carried out in 2006. This will repeat a survey of awareness among the general public and groups at increased risk of infection in 2003.
	Total expenditure on the FaCe It campaign to date has been 1.55 million. We will review the position on the future of the campaign at the end of the current financial year.
	Note:
	1
	For example, needle exchanges or treatment programmes, such as methadone maintenance.

HIV/AIDS

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what means the Department uses to raise awareness of HIV testing; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV (2001) included a goal to reduce the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection. Action to achieve this includes the following measures:
	The Government has set a national standard that all genito urinary medicine (GUM) services should offer an HIV test to clinic attendees on their first screening for sexually transmitted infections. Uptake of voluntary confidential testing (VCT) for HIV at GUM clinics among gay men has increased from 64 per cent. in 2003 to 79 per cent. in 2004. In heterosexuals, VCT uptake increased from 54 per cent. in 2003 to at least 75 per cent. in 2004.
	The Department continues to support comprehensive programmes of targeted HIV prevention and health promotion work for gay men and Africans through contracts with the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV Policy Network. The Department has funded the Terrence Higgins Trust to undertake pilots in a number of locations to offer HIV testing in community settings.
	Targets to reduce vertical, mother to child, transmission of HIV were announced in 1999. The success of offering and recommending an HIV test to every pregnant woman has resulted in a dramatic fall in the number of women giving birth to HIV positive babies.

Hospital Cleanliness

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many different organisations are able to inspect hospitals for cleanliness.

Jane Kennedy: A number of statutory organisations may undertake cleanliness inspections across the national health service, which may include every NHS site, a sample of sites or individual named sites as required. They are:
	Healthcare Commission
	Monitor
	National Audit Office
	Patient Forums
	Environmental Health
	Patient environment action teams (PEAT) also carry out annual assessments for the Department.

Medical Staff (West Suffolk)

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses there were in the constituency of West Suffolk in (i) 1997 and (ii) the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		National health service hospital, public health medicine and community health services: all doctors and nurses in the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority area and in each specified organisation as at 30 September(49) for each specified year
		
			  All doctors(50) Qualified nursing(51) 
			  1997 2004 1997 2004 
		
		
			 Headcount 3,876 4,983 13,457 18,592 
			  
			 Total specified organisations 154 457 689 1,368 
			 East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust 0 0 1 4 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 154 264 688 1,013 
			 Suffolk West Primary Care Trust (52) 193 (52) 351 
		
	
	(49) Excludes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and Hospital Medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals.
	(50) Data as at 30 September each year except GP and Practice Nurse data as at 1 October 1997.
	(51) Includes GP practice nurses.
	(52) Not applicable. PCTs were not established until 2000.
	1997 SHA figures are based on the 2002 organisational structure
	Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census
	Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Statistics

Mental Health Bill

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many meetings officials in her Department have held with representatives from black and minority ethnic mental health groups as part of the consultation on the race equality impact assessment of the Mental Health Bill;
	(2)  when details of the consultation on the race equality impact assessment of the Mental Health Bill were first posted on the Department's website; and what the deadline is for submissions.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 1 December 2005
	We have been undertaking a range of consultation activities as part of the process of Race Equality Impact Assessment on the draft Bill. This has included;
	establishing an advisory group of stakeholders and experts in the field, which has provided its own recommendations, based on existing consultation material on the draft Bill, and on the basis of a workshop with stakeholders that was held in July. In addition, the assessment proformas used by the advisory group were made widely available and we received some direct submissions based on these documents;
	three regional consultation events held in early November;
	interviews and focus groups with detained patients conducted on behalf of the Department by the Mental Health Act Commission in 12 provider units;
	written submissions from the Mental Health Act Commission's service user pane;
	written consultation with professional groups who will be operating the Bill;
	web-based opportunity for people to submit their own comments and views on the issues that have arisen out of earlier consultation. This was posted on the Department's website on 14 November, with a deadline for 25 November.
	Officials have been in close consultation with black and minority ethnic stakeholder groups, primarily through the black and minority ethnic (BME) mental health network, throughout the race impact assessment on the draft Bill. For example, we had jointly planned with the BME mental health network a series of consultation events, which were to be held in the spring. Regrettably, these events were cancelled when the general election was called, due to the rules about communication on government policy in the period leading up to a general election.
	The responsible Minister has also recently met with the Advisory Group and with the BME mental health network. The network was consulted about the consultation activities listed above and asked for more time for further dialogue to take place. We have agreed to extend the opportunity for dialogue and we are currently discussing with stakeholders what further consultation might be carried out before the Bill is introduced in Parliament.

Mental Health Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on psychological therapies in the NHS in 200405.

Rosie Winterton: The 200405 National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services reported that in 200405, planned spend on psychological therapy services was 141,378,000.

Mental Health Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many graduate primary care mental health workers were in post in (a) December 2004 and (b) December 2005.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available. However, the most recent data identified 353 graduate workers in September 2004 and 648 in March 2005.

Mesothelioma

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from mesothelioma in each of the last five years; how many people she estimates will die from mesothelioma in 2005; what estimate she has made of the number of likely deaths from mesothelioma over the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the number of people who have died from mesothelioma since 2001. Comparable data are not available for years prior to 2001 due to the use of the international classification of diseases ninth revision (ICD-9) between 1979 and 2000, which did not contain a disease category for mesothelioma.
	
		
			  Number of deaths 
		
		
			 2001 1,510 
			 2002 1,499 
			 2003 1,534 
			 2004 1,597 
		
	
	The Department has not made an estimate of the number of likely deaths from mesothelioma over the next five years.
	The Department recognises that in the past lung cancer has not received the attention it requires and has set up the lung cancer and mesothelioma advisory group to facilitate collaboration and to promote mutual understanding between the Department, the voluntary sector, patient and professional groups and to advise Ministers, the National Cancer Director and the Department on the development and delivery of high quality services for lung cancer patients. A mesothelioma sub-group has been set up to advise on the provision of high quality services for mesothelioma patients.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on services for sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis in Lancashire.

Liam Byrne: The Chorley and South Ribble primary care trust is the lead commissioning organisation for a new chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) service for Lancashire and South Cumbria. This has been recently launched and is expected to be fully operational by January 2006.
	A specialist multi-disciplinary team, comprising consultant, physiotherapist, nurse and technical instructor, is providing a service for people with CFS or myalgic encephalomyelitis across the geographical area of Lancashire and South Cumbria.

National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress on adoption by NHS Trusts of the provisions of the national service framework for long-term conditions, with particular reference to neurological disorders.

Liam Byrne: There is a 10 year implementation period for the national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions, with pace of delivery determined by local priorities.
	Over the course of the three-year planning period 200508 health bodies will be expected to demonstrate that they are making progress in planning and developing the levels of service quality described in the NSF. Both the Healthcare Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection may carry out improvement reviews to assess progress, jointly where appropriate.

NHS Central Registration System

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are registered on the NHS central registration system.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people are registered on the NHS central registration system. (38506)
	The number of patients on the NHS Central Register who are registered with a GP is 56,358,031.
	Yours sincerely

NHS Commissioning

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2005, Official Report, column 971W, on primary care trusts (Oxfordshire), whether all proposals to put NHS commissioning out to private tender require public consultation prior to decision.

Caroline Flint: There are no proposals to put the delivery of the commissioning function of PCTs in any area out to private tender.
	As part of the proposals for primary care trust (PCT) reconfiguration, one strategic health authority (SHA) proposed to procure an external management team to run one of their newly proposed PCTs. However, this proposal will not be considered during the forthcoming local consultation as it is for the new PCTs, not the current SHAs, to decide how best to manage their responsibilities after reconfiguration.
	If the new PCTs do decide to pursue this option in the future, decisions will of course be subject to public consultation.

NHS Financial Deficits

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what aspects of local health service provision she expects to be affected by attempts to minimise the 200506 financial deficit in the (a) Northamptonshire Heartlands primary care trust and (b) Kettering general hospital NHS trust.

Rosie Winterton: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for the overall financial management of national health service organisations in their localities and to ensure that they can achieve financial balance. It is for primary care trust (PCTs) in partnership with SHAs and local stakeholders to determine how to use the funds allocated to them to plan, develop and modernise health services for their local populations.

NHS Financial Management

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 4WS, on NHS financial management, if she will list the new approaches to healthcare and healthcare services being undertaken by NHS foundation trusts; whether such approaches are also being taken by other trusts; and in what ways the latter are not able to innovate in the same way as foundation trusts.

Liam Byrne: While national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs) are fledgling organisations working in a new environment with new freedoms, case studies being presented by the foundation trust network give details about how NHSFTs are demonstrating innovative thinking and new ways of working while using their capital freedoms to invest in the delivery and expansion of new services and improving accountability to their local populations. While NHS trusts can innovate new approaches to patient care in much the same way as NHSFTs can, we know that freedoms conferred by foundation status are allowing NHSFTs to do this more quickly and efficiently. The report into NHSFTs published by the Healthcare Commission, the statutory name of which is the Commission for Healthcare audit and inspection in the summer also confirmed that NHSFTs were making good progress in developing new services.

NHS Pension Scheme

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether new IT systems will be introduced in the NHS in connection with the new pension scheme regulations to be introduced in 2006.

Liam Byrne: Mandatory changes arising from the Finance Act 2004 affect public and private pension schemes. The NHS Pensions Agency is currently undertaking changes to information technology (IT) systems in order to meet the mandatory requirements of the Finance Act by 6 April 2006.
	The national health service pension scheme review is being led by the NHS Employers Organisation in partnership with NHS Trade Unions and includes representatives from the NHS Pensions Agency and the Department. NHS Employers will make recommendation to Ministers on the future design of the NHS pension scheme. Preserved rights from the current scheme, and potential pension rights in a new scheme will be addressed as part of that process. The review partners expect to conclude negotiations by June 2006 but the implementation of a new scheme is not expected until 2007 at the earliest.
	A full review of the Agency's IT systems is underway. The outcome of negotiations will inform the development of a new IT system or changes to the existing IT system.

NHS Reconfiguration

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been set aside for severance packages consequent on the restructuring of (a) Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority, (b) Lancashire and Cumbria Strategic Health Authority and (c) all strategic health authorities in England.

Liam Byrne: Ministers have given the go-ahead for all 28 strategic health authorities (SHAs) to begin local consultations on boundary changes to SHAs and primary care trusts. Consultations started on 14 December for a period of 14 weeks (until 22 March). No decisions on boundary changes will be taken until these local consultations have been completed and their outcomes considered by Secretary of State. Until any boundary changes are agreed, it is not possible to calculate the cost of any severance packages. There will be no central fund to finance any cost of redundancy and SHAs have been asked to minimise severance costs.

NICE

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria will be used to select technologies for referral to (a) the new single technology appraisal system and (b) the existing appraisal system within the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Jane Kennedy: The first tranche of topics for the single technology appraisal (STA) was arrived at in consultation with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE reviewed the topics on its existing technology appraisal programme, considering when they were licensed, the potential impact on length and quality of life and the demand for guidance. The suitability of future topics for the STA process will be assessed in discussion with NICE. The STA process will only be able to appraise single technologies for single indications.
	The existing multiple technology appraisal process will sit alongside the new process and will be available for use where an STA is not appropriate, for example where there is a need to look at two or more technologies together, or where the evidence base is particularly complex.
	The Department and NICE are reviewing the process for selecting topics for the Institute's work programme, and a consultation document will be published in due course.

Nurses

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of nurses who left nursing employment in the NHS within six months of qualification in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The Higher Education Statistics Agency conducted a survey of students who had successfully completed their course at a publicly-funded higher education institution in England between 1 August 2003 and 31 July 2004 and had a response rate of 79.9 percent., amongst pre-registration nursing students (including midwives). Of the 4,874 nursing students counted in the 2005 survey, 4,274 (87.7 percent.) were employed as a nurse on 15 January 2005. 5.8 percent., were employed elsewhere. 5.2 percent., were not in employment.

Nurses

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will collect figures for the number of nurses who qualify and then find employment within the NHS.

Liam Byrne: We already collect information on the number of staff employed in the national health service through the workforce census. We have no plans to collect additional information in the form requested. Following the shifting the balance of power initiative, we have moved to reduce gradually the number of data collections required from the NHS. Since 1997, the qualified nursing workforce has increased by 78,600.

Obesity Care Pathway

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways the draft document on the obesity care pathway used in the second round of consultations differed from that in the first round; and what assessment she has made of whether the consultation complied with the Cabinet Office code of practice on consultations.

Caroline Flint: The Department is developing an obesity care pathway as an interim tool to assist the frontline health professionals in managing overweight and/or obese patients, until the availability of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's definitive guidance in 2007. As part of the process of developing this tool, early drafts were shared with some potential users to ascertain their views on how it might best be applied.
	A consultation on the content is currently underway on the obesity care pathway and related documents, and a draft weight loss guide. The consultation ended on 3 January 2006. As required by the Cabinet code on consultation, I have agreed that the consultation period should be time limited, given the interim nature of the tools and the importance of getting them quickly to health professionals.

Osteoporosis

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether sufferers of osteoporosis under the age of 70 will continue to receive (a) bisphosphonates, (b) ralox and (c) strontium ranelate free on the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: Government policy is to help those who may have difficulty paying prescription charges. The current exemption and charge remission arrangements are intended to ensure that no one need be deterred from obtaining any necessary medication on financial grounds.
	Children under 16 and people aged 60 or over who are osteoporosis sufferers are entitled to free national health service prescriptions on the grounds of their age. Entitlement to free prescriptions is based on the principle that those who can afford to contribute should do so, while those who are likely to have difficulty in paying should be protected. However/people who have to pay can seek help under the NHS low income scheme, which provides help with health costs on an income-related basis.

Palliative Care

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to fulfil the commitment in Building on the Best to offer all adult patients nearing the end of life, regardless of diagnosis, access to high quality palliative care to enable them to choose if they wish to die at home; and what the timescale is for these measures.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have invested an additional 12 million over three years (2004 to 2007) to deliver the end of life care programme, providing choice to those who want to die at home. This programme is providing training for staff in acute, community and care home settings so that all patients near the end of life have access to high quality palliative care and are able to choose where they receive care. This involves supporting the roll-out of three key tools, the gold standards framework, the Liverpool care pathway, and the preferred place of care.

Palliative Care

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase funding for palliative care services; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In our Manifesto, we said we would increase the choice for patients with cancer and double the investment going into palliative care services, giving more people the choice to be treated at home. We have extended this commitment to improve end of life care for children and adults who are suffering from cancer or any life-threatening condition.
	The details of delivering our manifesto commitment are being discussed with a range of key stakeholders. Along side this, the views of the public, service users and national health service staff on end of life care was one of the issues covered in the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say consultation. We will take account of what people have said in this consultation in the way we discharge our manifesto commitment.

Patient Choice

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, columns 172526W, on patient choice, what communications have been sent to (a) primary care trusts and (b) strategic health authorities to convey Government policy since Sir Nigel Crisp's letter of 28 July on Commissioning a Patient-led NHS.

Liam Byrne: There have been two written communications issued to strategic health authority (SHA) chief executives since the publication of Sir Nigel Crisp's letter on 28 July 2005, and we have also provided SHAs with a consultation guidance document. A letter was issued on 26 August 2005, which stated that:
	We expect discussions on provider functions to follow the restructuring discussion, be led by the new PCTs and to take into account any conclusions from the upcoming White Paper. Any proposals would then require a further specific consultation.
	A further letter was issued on 30 November 2005, which stated that:
	The consultation must cover the reconfiguration of organisational boundaries only. Discussions or decision about provider functions are not a matter for this consultation.
	Enclosed with this letter was a consultation guidance document, which stated:
	In our proposals sent out on 28 July we indicated that we were minded to require PCTs to reduce their service provision functions by the end of 2008. Since that document, we have listened to stakeholders. The policy moving forward, in relation to service provision, is that this will be a matter for PCTs to determine locally. So any move away from direct provision of services will be a decision for the local NHS within the framework set out in the forthcoming White Paper and after local consultation, including professions allied to medicine.
	We will support PCTs who want to do that, but we will not instruct PCTs to do it, nor will we impose any timetable. What matters is getting the best services for each communityand that is what the White Paper will focus on.

Prescribing Policy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on the prescribing to a patient of a generic alternative to a branded medicine following the expiry of a patent in circumstances where they were initially prescribed a branded medicine and wish to remain on this medication.

Jane Kennedy: Practitioners are encouraged to prescribe rationally and to make the best possible use of national health service resources. It has long been the Department's policy to encourage practitioners to prescribe drugs by their generic name, where possible, for reasons of good professional practice and because of the opportunities for more effective use of NHS resources.

Prescription Charges

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued on whether patients in hospital should pay prescription charges for their medication.

Jane Kennedy: Guidance revised and issued in October 2003 entitled, The Controls Assurance Standards included a reminder to trusts that arrangements should be in place for the collection of prescription charges as specified by the National Health Service (Charges for drugs and appliances) Regulations 2000.
	Regulation 5 (1) says an NHS trust, and NHS foundation trust or a primary care trust which supplies to a patient for the purposes of his treatment, drugs, otherwise than for administration at a hospital, or appliances, shall, subject to limited exemptions make and recover from the patient a charge of 6.50.
	The information leaflet HC11, Help with Health Costs, which is freely available to patients and NHS staff, sets out when and where prescription charges should be made.

Primary Care Trusts

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will reconsider the pace at which primary care trusts are moved towards their target allocation under the weighted capitation formula.

Liam Byrne: Pace of change policy is decided by Ministers for each allocations round. In 200304, the most under target primary care trust (PCT) was 22 percent., under target. For the 200608 revenue allocations, it has been decided to move PCTs more quickly towards their fair share of funds, and by 200708, no PCT will be more than 3.5 percent., below its fair share.
	There are no plans to revisit the 200608 revenue allocations or the in pace of change. Pace of change policy for the next allocations round will be considered in light of all the circumstances at the time.

Primary Care Trusts

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many job losses she expects as a result of the possible merger of primary care trusts in Staffordshire; what budget she has allocated for severance payments; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Ministers have given the go-ahead for all 28 strategic health authorities (SHAs) to begin local consultations on boundary changes to SHAs and PCTs. Consultations started on 14 December and will continue for a period of 14 weeks, until 22 March. No decisions on boundary changes will be taken until these local consultations have been completed and their outcomes considered by Secretary of State. Until any boundary changes are agreed, it is not possible to calculate the number of job losses in any particular area.
	There will be no central fund to finance any cost of redundancy. SHAs have been asked to minimise the cost of severance and where possible, these should be financed from in-year management cost savings.

Primary Care Trusts

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process will be used for primary care trusts to transfer the services they provide to alternative providers.

Liam Byrne: There are no central plans for primary care trusts to transfer services they provide to alternative providers.
	Any move away from direct provision of services will be a decision for the national health service locally, within the framework to be set out in the forthcoming White Paper and after local consultation with a range of stakeholders including staff.

Psychiatrist/Psychologist Waiting Times

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhat the (a) average and (b) target waiting time was to see a (i) psychiatrist and (ii) psychologist for (A) adults and (B) children in Chorley in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Estimated average waiting time from GP written referral to first out-patient appointment, September 2001to September 2005, provider based
		
			 Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first out-patient attendance (weeks) 
			 Sum of seven Trusts merged to form Lancashire Care NHS Trust 
			 Quarter 0 to 4 4 to 13 13 to 26 26 plus Median wait 
		
		
			 September 2001 477 432 78 11 4.5 
		
	
	
		Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first out-patient attendance (weeks)
		
			 Lancashire Care NHS Trust   
			 Quarter September: 0 to 4 4 to 13 13 to 17 17 to 21 21 plus Median wait 
		
		
			 2002 480 332 39 5 5 3.6 
			 2003 470 289 28 19 0 3.4 
			 2004 419 232 25 0 0 3.2 
			 2005 299 156 0 0 0 3.1 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 2001 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2003 41 20 6 2 0 3.4 
			 2004 12 15 24 0 0 12.4 
			 2005 13 9 1 1 0 3.8 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable
	Notes:
	Lancashire Care NHS Trust was formed in an April 2002 merger of the following organisations:
	RMBBlackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Healthcare NHS Trust (MH services)
	RMLBlackpool, Wyre and Fyde Community Health NHS trust (MH services)
	REUBurnley Health Care NHS Trust (mental health services)
	RJUChorley and South Ribble NHS Trust (mental health services)
	RMECommunicare NHS Trust (psychology and drugs services)
	RMGGuild Community Healthcare NHS Trust
	RVTNorth Sefton and West Lancashire Community NHS Trust
	Data for specialties:
	710Mental Illness
	711Child  Adolescent Psychiatry
	712Forensic Psychiatry
	713Psychotherapy
	715Old Age Psychiatry
	1. Due to small numbers, the calculation of the median wait is prone to fluctuation at PCT and SNA level. Care should be taken when interpreting these figures.
	2. Waiting times apply to Consultant-led appointments only. Services in many areas are now run by multidisciplinary teams.
	Source:
	Department of Health form QM08

Resource Allocation Formula

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will examine the methods used by the resource allocation formula for primary care trusts to assess the health needs of rural areas.

Liam Byrne: The weighted-capitation formula is the best available mechanism to determine the health needs of local populations.
	The formula is continuously overseen by the advisory committee on resource allocation (ACRA). ACRA is an independent body, made up of national health service managers, academics and general practitioners. ACRA's objective is to ensure equity in resource allocation.
	Rurality has been looked at by ACRA on a number of occasions. A wide ranging review of the weighted capitation formula was undertaken by ACRA, prior to the 200304 revenue allocations to primary care trusts. As a result of this review, the formula takes account of the effects of access, transport and poverty in calculating health need in rural areas.
	ACRA are considering all aspects of weighted capitation formula in advance of next allocations, including health needs in rural areas.

Sure Start Post-natal Visits

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Sure Start post-natal visits by health visitors to new mothers are recommended by her Department.

Liam Byrne: The national service framework (NSF) for children, young people and maternity services recommends that a family is visited at home by the health visitor or midwife when a child is around 12 days old, to assess the health of the child and family. It also recommends that a child receives a physical examination when they are between six and eight weeks old. This should concentrate on the child's eyes, heart and hips and is normally carried out by the general practitioner or the health visitor. Where a family requires more support or has complex needs the health visitor should offer further visits.
	A health visitor based in a Sure Start children's centre would also have regard to the advice set out in the NSF. They may also have other contacts with families during the post-natal period through the various programmes delivered at the centre.

Terminally Ill Patients

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has issued to NHS hospitals on the provision of support to terminally ill patients without next of kin at the time of death.

Rosie Winterton: No guidance has been issued to national health service hospitals on the provision of support specifically for terminally ill patients without next of kin at the time of death. However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on supportive and palliative care, issued in 2004, provides recommendations for the provision of optimal care for those who are dying. This guidance also endorses several tools to support the provision of high quality and responsive care for people at the end of life. These tools: the gold standards framework, the Liverpool care pathway, and the preferred place of care, are being rolled out nationally as part of the Government's end of life care programme, which is running for three years from 2004 to 2007.
	The Department also issued advice for the NHS, When a Patient Dies, which sets out the principles and key elements of good bereavement services. This includes advice that all those involved in the death of a patient should work in partnership to ensure a coordinated response that meets individual needs.

UK/EU Health Agencies

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the relationship is between the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency and the EU Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use.

Jane Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence provides advice to the national health service in England on the clinical and cost effectiveness of selected new drugs once they are licensed by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, a committee of the European Medicines Agency.

Waiting Times

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the target waiting times are for (a) psychiatry and (b) psychology appointments.

Rosie Winterton: The maximum waiting time for a first out-patient appointment with a psychiatry consultant is 17 weeks. From the end of 2005, the target will reduce to 13 weeks.
	The Department has not set waiting time targets for services that are not consultant-led such as those delivered by psychologists.

Waiting Times

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she will measure performance of the 18-week waiting time target for courses of treatment involving multiple organisations.

Liam Byrne: The Department is currently collating the responses of a service-wide listening exercise on proposed principles and definitions to underpin the 18-week patient pathway commitment. The discussion document Commissioning an 18 week patient pathway proposed principles and definitions is available at www.18weeks.nhs.uk/documents/Principles_definitions.pdf and has been placed in the Library. Paragraphs 57 to 59 of this document address patient pathways, which involve multiple organisations. Paragraph 77 refers to the need for commissioners to manage the hand-offs between organisations. The outcome of the listening exercise and the final principles and definitions will be published in 2006.

Waiting Times

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average length of time women wait for their first appointment to test whether they are carrying the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect routine data on the waiting time for a first appointment with genetics services.
	The first appointment with the clinical genetic service will be to assess the individual's risk of carrying a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA 2 genes based on a detailed investigation of their family history. A key part of the process is the gathering of accurate information about occurrence and age at onset of any relevant cancers in the family before a meaningful first appointment can take place to assess whether it would be appropriate to offer a genetic test. This can take some time.
	The ability to test for breast cancer pre-disposition genes has led to a significant increase in workload for genetic services. We are working with commissioners and providers of genetic services to ensure that patients are being appropriately referred into services and that testing capacity is increased.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Adult Education

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what opportunities are made available by his Department in Kettering constituency to retrain, reskill or educate local adult residents for paid employment.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10 January 2006
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what opportunities are made available by his Department in the Kettering constituency to retain, reskill or educate local adult residents for paid employment. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus in Kettering offer training courses which are available to unemployed people in Retail and Customer Service, Fork Lift Licence (counterbalance and ach), and Basic Skills (literacy and numeracy). A Basic Employability course is available and addresses various barriers to employment facing people who have been out of work for some time.
	For those eligible for help under the New Deal programmes, assistance is available with jobsearch skills (C.V. writing, application form completion, interview techniques) and courses are also offered with work experience undertaken in the voluntary sector.
	In addition, we are working with key local employers from the logistics sector to develop a tailor-made work preparation course for customers unemployed for six months or more. This will focus on the key skills needed to work in this environment.
	I hope this is helpful.

Benefit Payments

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women are receiving incapacity benefit payments; and what the figures were in each of the last four years.

Margaret Hodge: The information is in the table.
	
		The number of female incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants: Great Britain
		
			  Number of claimants 
		
		
			 May 2001 1,129,000 
			 May 2002 1,146,800 
			 May 2003 1,161,700 
			 May 2004 1,171,800 
			 May 2005 1,166,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. 'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA), including IB credits only cases.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Child Support

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who are paying child support remain on the old computer programme.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	I asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who are paying child support remain on the old computer programme.
	You can find this information in the CSA Quarterly Statistical Supplement published on the DWP website (www.dwp.gov.uk), a copy of which is also held in the House of Commons library.

Child Support

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential impact of fixing maintenance liabilities for periods longer than one week; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: Because many clients of the Child Support Agency are in receipt of benefits which are assessed on a weekly basis, it is more practical to calculate liability for child support on a weekly basis.

Child Support

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much information relating to Child Support Agency cases in Kent has been lost due to the new IT system.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Child Support

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what bonuses were paid to staff managing the EDS contract at the Child Support Agency in each of the last four years; and what bonuses related to performance were paid to these staff in each of the last four years.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, who will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what bonuses were paid to staff managing the EDS contract at the Child Support Agency in each of the last four years; and what bonuses related to performance were paid to these staff in each of the last four years?
	All staff in the Department of Work and Pensions qualify for performance-related pay. The performance-related pay arrangements operate on a sliding scale with over 90% of staff receiving a payment at the end of the performance year. In addition the Department operates a special bonus scheme, which rewards staff for exceptional achievements outside the requirements of their key work objectives.
	Set out in the table below are the special bonus payments relating to staff involved in managing the EDS Contract. These staff also perform other functions in addition to that role.
	These payments arose from when the new Child Support Computer System went live in March 2003.
	
		
		
			 Financial year Amount of payment 
		
		
			 200304 1,600.00 
			 200405 0 
			 200506(53) 500.00 
			 Total 2,100.00 
		
	
	(53) To date.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Child Support

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what percentage of the Child Support Agency cases waiting to be transferred from the old to the new scheme contain anomalies, inaccuracies or incomplete data;
	(2)  how many anomalies, inaccuracies and pieces of incomplete data are contained in the Child Support Agency records of the cases waiting to be transferred from the old to the new scheme;
	(3)  how long he expects the work needed to bring records of Child Support Agency cases up to a standard acceptable for transfer to the new scheme to take; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what proportion of the anomalies, inaccuracies and incomplete data contained in the Child Support Agency records of the cases waiting to be transferred from the old to the new scheme require human intervention; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions:
	What percentage of the Child Support Agency cases waiting to be transferred from the old to the new scheme contain anomalies, inaccuracies or incomplete data.
	How many anomalies inaccuracies and pieces of incomplete data are contained in the Child Support Agency records of the cases waiting to be transferred from the old to the new scheme.
	How long he expects the work needed to bring records of Child Support Agency cases up to a standard acceptable for transfer to the new scheme to take; and if he will make a statement.
	What proportion of the anomalies inaccuracies and incomplete data contained in the Child Support Agency records of the cases waiting to be transferred from the old to the new scheme require human intervention; and if he will make a statement.
	Whilst the Agency does not have robust numbers for the type of cases specified, we do know that a substantial proportion of the old scheme caseload will have corrupted data that needs to be corrected before cases are moved to the new scheme.
	Work is being undertaken to identify and resolve the problems caused by issues with the data on old scheme cases as they move to the new system and as relevant cases get transferred to the new scheme. I regret that this work has not yet produced definitive answers to the questions you have asked.
	I hope this is helpful.

Child Support

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many non-resident parents were paying the flat rate of 5 child support per week in the latest period for which figures are available; and in how many cases these payments are being deducted from social security payments by the Child Support Agency;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of non-resident parents have a net income such that they pay child support maintenance (a) at the 5 flat rate and (b) on the taper for net income between 100 and 200.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: how many non-resident parents were paying the flat rate of 5 child support per week in the latest period for which figures are available; and in how many cases these payments are being deducted from social security payments by the Child Support Agency.
	You also asked how many and what proportion of non-resident parents have a net income such that they pay child support maintenance (a) at the 5 flat rate and (b) on the taper for net income between 100 and 200.
	Due to the limitations of currently available new scheme management information, it is not possible to provide the number or proportion of non-resident parents with net income between 100 and 200. However, information can be provided about the number of parents paying child support maintenance at the 5 rate through analysis of maintenance calculations. This is presented below.
	Under the new scheme, in most circumstances the minimum allowable calculation for a non-resident parent is 5.
	However, if the non-resident parent (NRP) or their partner is on Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, where their partner is also an NRP, then the total liability for them both is 5, split equally across both cases.
	The NRP can also have a liability of less than 5 a week if they have children with more than one parent with care (PWC), but they do not share care with all of them. For example:
	NRP X receives Incapacity Benefit, so is liable to pay the flat rate of 5.
	They have two children cared for by PWC A and also one child with PWC B. Care is shared with PWC B only.
	The 5 liability is apportioned according to the number of children so 2/3 (3.33) goes to PWC A and 1/3 (1.67) to PWC B.
	But, because care is shared with PWC B, liability in this case is reduced to nil, meaning the NRP has a total liability of 3.33 in respect of PWC A.
	Additionally, if the NRP had a nil assessment under the old scheme, has been reactively converted to the new scheme because of relevant links to a new scheme application, and received a new scheme assessment of 5 then, under phasing rules, the NRP would be liable to pay 2.50 for the first year rising to 5 thereafter.
	It is therefore possible to have NRPs who are liable to pay 5 flat rate, but whose current liability is less than 5. For this reason, the figures quoted in the table below also include those NRPs who are liable to pay the flat rate of maintenance, but whose current liability is less than 5.
	Figures relating to the total number and proportion of NRPs assessed to pay maintenance at a level of 5 or less and whether or not this is scheduled to be collected via a deduction from benefit are presented below.
	
		Child support new scheme flat rate maintenance assessment value by method of collectionSeptember 2005
		
			  Number of non-resident parents 
			  Value of assessment Method of collection via deduction from benefit Other method of collection  Total Percentage of all non resident parents 
		
		
			 0.01 to 4.99 4,000 2,000 6,000 2 
			 5.00 59,000 15,000 74,000 29 
			 Total (0.01 to 5.00) 63,000 17,000 80,000 31 
		
	
	Volumes are rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages to nearest whole percent. Due to rounding, components may not sum to totals.
	I hope you find this helpful,

Child Support

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many requests for information Child Support Agency staff made in each month since 2001 in relation to Scottish claims; and what the average time taken to receive a response was;
	(2)  how many requests to HM Revenue and Customs for information regarding the income of non-resident parents for Scottish claims were made by the Child Support Agency in each month over the last three years; and what the average time taken to respond was;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of time staff working on Scottish claims at the Child Support Agency spent (a) assessing levels of maintenance, (b) on enforcement activity and (c) on compliance activity in (i) 1998 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  what the average time was in Scotland between receipt of an application by the Child Support Agency and the granting of a warrant from a magistrate in each of the last five years;
	(5)  how many compensation payments have been made in Scotland by the Child Support Agency for maladministration since 1 January 1998; and how many of these exceeded (a) 1,000, (b) 10,000 and (c) 50,000;
	(6)  how many complaints relating to Scottish claims have been made to the Child Support Agency in each month since January 2003;
	(7)  what the latest estimate is of the time taken to take action on a Scottish Child Support Agency claim clerically;
	(8)  how many people have (a) been sent to prison and (b) lost their driving licence for a period of time for refusing to comply with the Child Support Agency in regard to Scottish claims in each quarter since 199596;
	(9)  how many staff handling Scottish claims (a) were employed by the Child Support Agency and (b) left the Child Support Agency in each of the last six years;
	(10)  what plans he has for Child Support Agency staff numbers handling Scottish claims for the period 2005 to 2008;
	(11)  what proportion of Child Support Agency staff handling Scottish claims have been working for the Agency for (a) less than one year and (b) less than two years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: Information requested is not available for Scotland.

Child Support

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many penalties the Child Support Agency has issued in Scotland for (a) failure to provide information and (b) providing false information in each of the last eight years.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many penalties the Child Support Agency has issued in Scotland for (a) failure to provide information and (b) providing false information in each of the last eight years.
	The new criminal sanctions under Scottish law were only introduced from 31 January 2001:
	Pursuant to a request for information, making a statement or representation knowing it to be false (section 14A(2)(a)); and
	Providing or knowingly causing or knowingly allowing to be provided a document or other information which is known to be false in a material particular (section 14A(2)(b)).
	Failing to comply with a request for information without reasonable excuse (section 14A(3) of the Child Support Act 1991).
	A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (i.e. a fine not exceeding 1000)
	The information requested is set out in the attached tables. I hope this will be helpful.
	
		Child support agency criminal compliance prosecution cases under Scottish law
		
			  14A(2) cases prosecuted under Scottish law Cases convicted 
		
		
			 Section 14A(2)Providing the agency with false information 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 0 0 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 0 0 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 0 0 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 1 1 
			 April 2005 to October 2005 0 0 
			 Total 1 1 
		
	
	
		
			  14A(3) cases prosecuted under Scottish law Cases convicted 
		
		
			 Section 14A(3)Failure to provide the agency with required information 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 0 0 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 0 0 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 1 1 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 2 1 
			 April 2005 to October 2005 4 4 
			 Total 7 6

Child Support

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of parents with care in Scotland on income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance has received Child Support Agency maintenance in each reporting period since 19992000.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of parents with care in Scotland on income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance have received Child Support Agency maintenance in each reporting period since 19992000.
	It is currently only possible to provide Scotland specific information for cases operating on the old computer system prior to the introduction of the new scheme in March 2003. Available figures are presented in the attached table.
	I hope you find this helpful.
	
		Proportion of parents with care in Scotland on Income Support and income based jobseeker's allowance receiving maintenance between February 1999 and February 2003
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 February 1999 23 
			 May 1999 24 
			 August 1999 24 
			 November 1999 25 
			 February 2000 24 
			 May 2000 24 
			 August 2000 24 
			 November 2000 24 
			 February 2001 23 
			 May 2001 24 
			 August 2001 24 
			 November 2001 23 
			 February 2002 23 
			 May 2002 23 
			 August 2002 23 
			 November 2002 23 
			 February 2003 23 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2. Robust information covering the period from March 2003 to date is not currently available for new scheme cases, and old scheme cases on the new computer system.
	3. The methodology used to produce these statistics is consistent with that used in the measurement of the Department's public service agreement target in this area. Namely, all those cases with a child maintenance calculation or assessment where the parent with care is on income support or income based jobseeker's allowance (including those with a nil liability) who are in receipt of maintenance.

Child Support

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions payments have been made in Scotland under the authority of the (a) Chief Executive and (b) the Deputy Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency but without their personal written authorisation; how much these payments have amounted to; and for what reasons they were made.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions payments have been made in Scotland under the authority of the (a) Chief Executive or (b) the Deputy Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency but without their personal written authorisation; how much these payments have amounted to; and for what reasons they were made.
	All payments made by officers of the Child Support Agency are made under the authority of the Chief Executive as the Accounting Officer for the Agencythis includes all payments made in Scotland. There are delegated authority levels and controls in place throughout the Agency to support these arrangements. In certain exceptional circumstances, the personal written authorisation of the Chief Executive or his Deputy is required before payment of redress can be made.
	I hope that this information is helpful.

Child Support

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of applications for child maintenance support from people in Wales were awaiting processing at the end of each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average time was for processing child maintenance support cases originating in Wales in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of applications for child maintenance support from people in Wales took (a) under one month, (b) between one and three months, (c) between three and six months, (d) between six and 12 months and (e) over a year to process in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information can not be provided at the geographical level requested.

Child Support

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many compensation payments to Welsh claimants have been made by the Child Support Agency for maladministration since 1997; what proportion of total claims for child maintenance support this represents; and how many exceeded (a) 1,000, (b) 10,000, (c) 50,000 and (d) 90,000; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available broken down by nationality, including for Welsh claimants.

Child Support Agency

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the target time for the processing of Child Support Agency applications is;
	(2)  what percentage of Child Support Agency applications were processed within the target time in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many Child Support Agency applications are being processed;
	(4)  how many Child Support Agency applications being processed were received (a) more than six months ago and (b) more than one year ago; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Child Support Agency currently has no set target for processing applications because of its current and well documented backlog position.
	The available information on the volumes and time taken to process outstanding Child Support Agency applications is in the table.
	
		Time taken to process outstanding Child Support Agency applications
		
			  Number of cases(54) 
		
		
			 Potential new-scheme applications yet to be cleared 264,000 
			 Of which:  
			 Received in the last six months 50,000 
			 Received between six months and a year ago 35,000 
			 Received more than a year ago 96,000 
			 Unknown(55) 85,000 
			 Old-scheme cases yet to be cleared(56) 75,000 
			 Total number of cases yet to be cleared 339,000 
		
	
	(54) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Numbers may not sum due to rounding.
	(55) There are currently 85,000 potential new-scheme applications that have come through Job Centre Plus, which are yet to be cleared, and for which management information is not currently available.
	(56) The new scheme became operational in March 2003. Therefore, all old-scheme cases yet to be cleared were, by definition, received more than a year ago.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  in what proportion of Child Support Agency cases no payments have ever been made in each year since 200001;
	(2)  what proportion of Child Support Agency applications under the new scheme rules resulted in maintenance payments being made in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Hilary Reynolds, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive, as Stephen Geraghty is on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what proportion of Child Support Agency cases no payments have ever been made in each year since 200001.
	You also asked what proportion of Child Agency applications under the new scheme rules resulted in maintenance payments being made in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
	The information requested is only available for new-scheme cases on a scheme-to-date basis.
	At the end of September 2005, of the 202,000 cases where the initial assessment indicated maintenance was due, 72 per cent. had either received one or more payments via the collection service, or a Maintenance Direct arrangement had been put in place. Conversely, 28 per cent. had yet to receive any payment.
	I hope you find this helpful,

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency (CSA) cases under the new CSA scheme have been (a) received, (b) cleared and (c) closed without payments being made.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions;
	How many Child Support Agency (CSA) cases under the new CSA scheme have been (a) received (b) cleared and (c) closed without payments being made.
	As at the end of September 2005, since the new scheme began the Agency has received 755,000 applications, of which 494,000 (65 per cent.) had been cleared. Of those applications cleared, 219,000 (44 per cent.) had a calculation and payment arrangement in place, of which 202,000 resulted in a positive liability, with the remainder having nil calculations. The remaining 276,000 (56 per cent.) were cleared prior to the point at which maintenance was calculated, and hence before any payment was made. Of this latter group, 236,000 cases were closed and 40,000 identified as either claiming good cause, being subject to a reduced benefit decision or a change of circumstances in relation to an existing case (as opposed to a new calculation).
	It should be noted that an application is defined as cleared if the case is closed, a maintenance calculation has been carried out and a payment arrangement between the parent with care (PWC) and the non-resident parent is in place. In addition, an application is also counted as cleared if the PWC is identified as claiming Good Cause, the PWC is subject to a Reduced Benefit Decision or the application is identified as being a change of circumstances on an existing case as opposed to a new application.
	The figures included in this response have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
	I hope you find this information helpful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many Child Support Agency cases were awaiting a decision in each month between October 2004 and October 2005;
	(2)  what the backlog of Child Support Agency cases has been under (a) the old system and (b) the new system for each month from January 2004 to October 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the total backlog of cases awaiting processing is under the new Child Support Agency scheme calculation for each month since June 2003; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 10 January 2006
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total backlog of cases awaiting processing under the new Child Support Agency scheme calculation for each month since June 2003 is; how many Child Support Agency cases were awaiting a decision in each month between October 2004 and October 2005 and what the backlog of Child Support Agency cases has been under (a) the old system and (b) the new system for each month from January 2004 to October 2005.
	The table below sets out the number of uncleared cases for each month for which information is currently available:
	
		
			  2005 
		
		
			  January February March April May June July August September 
			 New Scheme 259,000 264,000 266,000 266,000 265,000 263,000 263,000 264,000 261,000 
			 Old Scheme 103,000 92,000 87,000 86,000 82,000 78,000 76,000 75,000 73,000 
			 Total Agency 362,000 357,000 353,000 352,000 346,000 341,000 340,000 339,000 333,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
	2. Information for new and old-scheme cases on the new computer system is not currently available between March 2003 and December 2004, therefore volumes for this period cannot be provided.
	3. At September, 32,000 old-scheme cases were suspended on the old computer system, principally because the Agency has been unable to trace the non-resident parent. Similar types of cases will also exist for both new and old-scheme cases on the new computer system, the volumes of which cannot currently be quantified.
	I hope you find this helpful

Education and Training

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what measures are in place to enable young people between the ages of 19 and 25 years who are living independently and claiming jobseeker's allowance to participate in further education and training;
	(2)  what measures are in place to ensure that young people participating in the new deal are encouraged to take part in education and training, with particular reference to A-level courses.

Margaret Hodge: Young people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) who are interested in further education and training can receive advice and guidance from Jobcentre Plus Advisers on education and training opportunities, including details of educational establishments that provide A Level courses. A condition of claiming JSA is that recipients continue to make themselves available for and actively seek work, so any education or training undertaken must comply with conditions for continuing to receive JSA.
	Young people aged 1824 who have been claiming JSA for six months are required to participate in the mandatory new deal for young people (NDYP) programme. The primary aim of NDYP is to help move people into sustainable work as quickly as possible, however, participants on the programme may access education and training opportunities through the full-time education and training (FTET) option.
	FTET courses assist new deal participants in achieving vocational qualifications at or equivalent to S/NVQ level 2. They are not designed to compete with qualification courses run by further education establishments, for example GCSE or A level courses. FTET provision is delivered across a wide range of employment sectors for varying lengths of time and is tailored to the needs of the individual and local employers. People aged 25 and over who have been claiming JSA for 18 out of the last 21 months are required to join the mandatory new deal 25 plus (ND25 plus) programme. The employment and training option (ETO) within new deal 25 plus provides participants with the opportunity to acquire the formal qualifications, generally up to and including S/NVQ Level 3, that may be necessary for them to their particular jobs or occupational sectors. Personal advisers can approve early entry to both NDYP and ND25 plus for some people if this is appropriate to their needs.
	Some eligible young people may also participate on other new deal programmes. People on new deal for lone parents (NDLP), which is a voluntary programme, have access to a range of new deal training opportunities, including the NDYP FTET option, or may participate in other approved training. They can have access to this help from the first day of joining the programme. Normally NDLP funding can only be used for education and training courses up to NVQ/SNVQ Level 2 or equivalent. However, where it is clear that a lone parent can achieve an NVQ/SNVQ Level 3 in a year (for example where they have the appropriate qualification levels in the subject) funding could be considered. In all cases Advisers must consider whether the training will lead to sustainable employment.
	New deal for disabled people (NDDP), which is also a voluntary programme, is designed to support people in receipt of disability or health-related benefits in finding and sustaining paid employment. Although NDDP Job Brokers work closely with providers of training, they usually focus on vocational training which would not normally incorporate further education qualifications such as A-level courses.
	Finally, young people may also participate on the voluntary new deal for partners programme which offers partners of people claiming certain benefits support in tackling barriers to work. Partners are eligible to join the programme from the first day of the claim and can be referred to the FTET option of NDYP or the ETO Option of ND25 plus, or other suitable training which will improve their job readiness.
	People aged 1824 are also eligible for LSC modern apprenticeship training where the young person is employed, paid a wage and given the training needed to gain a qualification.

Industrial Injuries Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of industrial injuries benefit there have been in each of the last 10 years; and how much the benefit has cost in (a) cash and (b) real terms over the same period.

Margaret Hodge: The available information is in the tables.
	
		Industrial injuries disablement benefit assessments in Great Britain
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 199596 240.7 
			 199697 253.7 
			 199798 265.2 
			 199899 274.2 
			 19992000 276.9 
			 200001 276.3 
			 200102 273.7 
			 200203 267,125 
			 200304 266,475 
			 200405 267,145 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Number of assessments at the end of each statistical year (end of March).
	2. A person may be in receipt of more than one assessment (up to the end of 200102).
	3. Figures from 199596 to 200102 are based on a 10 per cent. sample, and are in thousands.
	4. Figures from 200203 are from the Industrial Injuries Computer System, and present a 100 per cent. sample of recipients (not assessments).
	
		Expenditure on industrial injuries benefits in nominal terms
		
			  Industrial disablement benefits Industrial death benefit Other industrial injuries benefits Total industrial injuries benefits 
		
		
			 199596 outturn 670 58 3 731 
			 199697 outturn 685 55 3 743 
			 199798 outturn 690 55 2 747 
			 199899 outturn 710 49 2 761 
			 19992000 outturn 700 52 2 753 
			 200001 outturn 708 49 2 759 
			 200102 outturn 727 49 2 778 
			 200203 outturn 733 48 2 783 
			 200304 estimated outturn 737 46 1 783 
			 200405 plans 751 43 1 795 
		
	
	
		Expenditure on industrial injuries benefits in real terms (200506 prices)
		
			  Industrial disablement benefits Industrial death benefit Other industrial injuries benefits Total industrial injuries benefits 
		
		
			 199596 outturn 859 74 4 937 
			 199697 outturn 848 69 3 920 
			 199798 outturn 830 66 3 898 
			 199899 outturn 832 58 2 892 
			 19992000 outturn 804 59 2 866 
			 200001 outturn 803 56 2 861 
			 200102 outturn 806 54 2 862 
			 200203 outturn 786 52 2 840 
			 200304 estimated outturn 770 48 1 819 
			 200405 plans 768 45 1 814 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are given in millions.
	2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	3. Expenditure for 200405 reflects the latest benefit-by-benefit estimate of outturn, and not the amounts voted by Parliament.

Jobcentres (Tower Hamlets)

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  for what reasons his Department has changed the provisions and incentives that are available from the publicly-run job centres in the London borough of Tower Hamlets;
	(2)  what changes to staffing at the local jobcentres in the London borough of Tower Hamlets will be made as a result of contracting out work to private contractors.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10 January 2006
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking for what reasons his department has reduced the provisions and incentives that are available from the publicly-run jobcentres in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets; and what changes to staffing at the local jobcentres in the London borough of Tower Hamlets will be made as a result of contracting out work to private contractors. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	As part of a national modernisation programme we are improving services offered to the residents of Tower Hamlets. The City Jobcentre Plus Office opened on 8 November to provide the full range of services to residents and the Poplar Jobcentre Plus office will open in the New Year. In addition the Employment Zones, established in the borough in April 2000, provides specialist provision for unemployed adults aged 25 and over and the Working Neighbourhood pilot is an additional service in recognition of the fact that some residents of Tower Hamlets need extra help to gain employment.
	There has been no reduction in staffing levels in Tower Hamlets' Jobcentre Plus offices as a result of the introduction of the Employment Zones or the Working Neighbourhood pilot.
	I hope this is helpful.

New Deal

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many lone parents (a) were referred to and (b) accessed training after participating in the new deal for lone parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005;
	(2)  what the average value was of awards made from the Advisers Discretionary Fund to lone parents participating in the new deal for lone parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005;
	(3)  how many lone parents entered employment after participation in the new deal for lone parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005; and how many Advisers Discretionary Fund Awards were made to lone parents participating in the new deal for lone parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005.

Margaret Hodge: holding answers 6 December 2005
	New deal for lone parents (NDLP) is a voluntary programme which is available to lone parents who are not working, or working less than 16 hours a week. New deal personal advisers provide offer lone parents advice with job seeking, training, in-work benefits and childcare, and the programme has already been successful in helping more than 410,000 lone parents into work.
	The available information on the number of lone parents undertaking training through new deal for lone parents in each month from January 2004 is in the table.
	
		Training participants on new deal for lone parents
		
			 Month of first education/training start Number of lone parents 
		
		
			 January 2004 460 
			 February 2004 310 
			 March 2004 180 
			 April 2004 480 
			 May 2004 340 
			 June 2004 290 
			 July 2004 370 
			 August 2004 260 
			 September 2004 600 
			 October 2004 450 
			 November 2004 330 
			 December 2004 180 
			 January 2005 330 
			 February 2005 210 
			 March 2005 320 
			 April 2005 380 
			 May 2005 290 
			 June 2005 210 
			 July 2005 230 
			 August 2005 110 
			 Total 6,320 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information on the number of lone parents referred to training through new deal for lone parents is not available.
	2. Latest data is to August 2005.
	3. Data is rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, DWP
	A total of 180,287 Adviser Discretion Fund awards averaging 99.26 were made to participants on new deal for lone parents between January 2004 and October 2005.
	Information broken down by each month is in the table.
	
		Adviser discretion fund awards to participants on new deal for lone parents
		
			  January 2004-October 2005  Number of awards Average value of awards () 
		
		
			 January 2004 8,332 109.46 
			 February 2004 7,745 106.99 
			 March 2004 8,829 107.62 
			 April 2004 8,716 106.56 
			 May 2004 8,164 104.72 
			 June 2004 7,705 107.45 
			 July 2004 9,769 104.12 
			 August 2004 7,969 108.99 
			 September 2004 12,479 107.78 
			 October 004 10,901 105.67 
			 November 2004 10,330 104.71 
			 December 2004 7,011 105.59 
			 January 2005 8,010 103.62 
			 February 2005 9,713 99.17 
			 March 2005 9,981 97.39 
			 April 2005 8,541 99.47 
			 May 2005 6,952 85.25 
			 June 2005 6,602 77.51 
			 July 2005 5,011 79.77 
			 August 2005 4,274 75.74 
			 September 2005 7,215 71.23 
			 October 2005 6,038 71.78 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. It is possible for participants on new deal for lone parents to receive more than one award from the Adviser Discretion Fund.
	2. The amount of Adviser Discretion Fund available to a customer within a 12 month period was reduced from 300 to 100 from 9 May 2005.
	Source:
	DWP Welfare to Work Change Division.
	The available information on the number of lone parents entering work through new deal for lone parents in each month from January 2004 is in the table.
	
		New deal for lone parents
		
			 Month Number into work 
		
		
			 January 2004 6,840 
			 February 2004 6,200 
			 March 2004 6,810 
			 April 2004 7,830 
			 May 2004 7,100 
			 June 2004 6,420 
			 July 2004 7,230 
			 August 2004 5,340 
			 September 2004 8,340 
			 October 2004 10,740 
			 November 2004 8,450 
			 December 2004 5,260 
			 January 2005 5,340 
			 February 2005 6,090 
			 March 2005 5,270 
			 April 2005 7,040 
			 May 2005 6,020 
			 Total 116,320 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for individuals into work.
	2. Data is only available to May 2005.
	3. All figures are rounded to nearest 10.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, DWP

New Deal

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people registered for the new deal in Beverley and Holderness in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The available information is in the table.
	
		New deal in Beverley and Holderness
		
			 Period Individual starts 
		
		
			 April 2000 to March 2001 320 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 350 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 450 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 440 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 560 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information does not include starts to the new deal for disabled people programme, which is not available at constituency level.
	2. Information is not available at constituency level broken down by year for new deal 50 plus prior to January 2004.
	3. Information is only available at constituency level for new deal for partners from April 2004.
	4. Data is rounded to nearest 10.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, DWP

Outsourced Programmes

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administration costs are for each outsourced employment programme; and what percentage of total expenditure on the programme this represents in each case.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the right hon. and learned Member.
	Letter from Leslie Strathie, dated 10 January 2006
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the administration cost for each outsourced employment programme, and what percentage this represents of the total expenditure for each programme. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The available information is set out in the table below.
	
		Administrative expenditure on New Deal and action teams
		
			  Start date of programmes Administration expenditure ( million) Percentage of start date of programmes total expenditure 
		
		
			 New Deal for Young People/25 plus January 1998/July 1998 878 30 
			 New Deal 50 plus April 2000 28 10 
			 New Deal for Lone Parents October 1998 201 73 
			 New Deal for Disabled People July 2001 51 42 
			 New Deal for Partners April 1999 32 91 
			 Action Teams June 2000 59 39 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are from the start of the programme to 200304.
	2. The administrative expenditure figures include the costs attributable to personnel adviser salaries and staff costs. In 200304 approximately 5,500 personnel advisers were employed on New Deal and Action Team activities. Other administrative expenditure includes the cost of developing the programmes and support functions.
	I hope this is helpful.

Pensioners

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of (a) single men, (b) single women and (c) couples aged 75 years or over would (i) be floated off pension credit, (ii) remain in receipt of guarantee credit and (iii) become eligible for savings credit were a full basic state pension to be made payable to them in (A) 200506, (B) 2010, (C) 2020, (D) 2030, (E) 2040 and (F) 2050.

Stephen Timms: The information is in the table.
	
		Recipients of pension credit aged 75 and over
		
			  Floated off pension credit Remain in receipt of guarantee credit Become eligible for savings credit 
			  Numbers (thousands) Proportions (percentage) Numbers (thousands) Proportions (percentage) Numbers (thousands) Proportions (percentage) 
		
		
			 Single men   
			 200506   130 100 10 60 
			 2010   140 100 10 60 
			 2020   170 100 10 45 
			 2030   220 100   
			 2040   290 95   
			 2050   540 100   
			
			 Single women   
			 200506 10  780 100 80 55 
			 2010   790 100 70 50 
			 2020   840 100 50 40 
			 2030   1,030 95 40 25 
			 2040   1,380 95 30 25 
			 2050 10  1,990 95 30 20 
			
			 Couples   
			 200506 80 30 50 35 10 45 
			 2010 60 15 80 55   
			 2020 70 15 80 50   
			 2030 80 10 80 45   
			 2040 100 10 110 50   
			 2050 60 5 250 50   
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Projections for numbers in all the tables have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and for proportions to the nearest 5 per cent. They are subject to a wide margin of error and should be used as broad indications only.
	2. These estimates are based on a long term version of the Department's Policy Simulation Model, which uses Family Resources Survey data for 200304 projected forward into the future to estimate the extent of eligibility for each pensioner household on the survey.
	3. A dash in the data represents numbers that are negligible.
	4. Couples include those with at least one member aged 75 or over.
	5. The proportions floated off pension credit are in relation to those who are projected to be in receipt of pension credit if the change in BSP had not occurred.
	6. The proportions that remain in receipt of guarantee credit are in relation to those who are projected to be in receipt of guarantee credit if the change in BSP had not occurred.
	7. The proportions that become eligible for savings credit are in relation to those who are projected to be in receipt of guarantee credit only, if the change in BSP had not occurred.

Pensions Commission

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for (a) responding to the Pensions Commission's report and (b) legislating on pensions reform; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Government plan to publish a White Paper in the spring in response to the Pensions Commission's report. This will set out what legislation will be needed and a planned timetable for reforms.

Pension Credit

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls were made by his Department's staff to pensioners in Beverley and Holderness regarding take-up of the pension credit in each of the last 12 months.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available. The Pension Service does not collate such data at constituency level.